macros: bad for DPS?

[saeedaisspecial]

Don't hate on the messenger. Chasing the ideal is all about min/maxing, and this is a popular way of achieving that.

It seems ridiculous that the legitimate player is penalized for macro'ing within the client, when products like this are readily accessible.

Except that macroing, even with tools is inherently a bad thing. There are times like already brought up in the thread where you may not want to perform your full macro.
You might be pulled away from the mob to dodge an AoE, your macro keeps running and when you get back it does the third action on the list instead of the second, where you were when you ran off, breaking your combo. There could be points (and there are in certain fights) where you need to hold DPS, and you can't stop because welp, you're using a macro. In Turn 6 Bouquet starts casting? Macro running? You're dead. In Turn 7 you might have to turn for voices, your macro keeps running? GJ. You've just wiped the raid.
They are bad, not just because of the delays with in game macros, but all types are bad. You should never rely on them.

No top tier player will min/max using any sort of macros.

[Amberyl]

There are times like already brought up in the thread where you may not want to perform your full macro. <snip> No top tier player will min/max using any sort of macros.

And as has already been pointed out, you don't have to use the full macro just because you've pressed the button. In the client, they can be aborted easily with other skills, or even with a blank echo macro. With hardware macros, you often have the option to hold the button to run the macro, or can also have a separate key or second key press to stop all macros in progress. With the Razer Death Adder, a middling level, incredibly common mouse, it's possible to macro the Dragoon's entire GCD rotation onto one mouse button that is held to progress the rotation, with the player then easily free to weave non-GCD and buffs with a only few keys.

As for no top-tier players using then? That's outright ignorance, I'm afraid. You're kidding yourself, sorry.