Just the essentials or all the bells and whistles?

[Spongebob]

There needs to be a distinction made between high quality products and products that have a lot of features.  You can buy a cheap standard miter saw at Lowes or a really well built one for 3X the price.  You can also buy either miter saw as a sliding, dual-action, compound unit with a laser guide, dust collector, clamps and a chewing gum dispenser.  So, cheap and simple or cheap and complex; or high quality simple or high quality complex are all options.  I sprung for the extra features and boy am I glad I did.  It makes the miter saw a badass tool.

I bought a 10" compound miter saw. I can't cut a 2 X 6 all the way, I have to flip it over to finish the cut. Should have bought the 12" slider. Live and learn. I have 3 circular saws, though, so it's kind of moot.

That's exactly why I wanted the slider.  When cutting angles the problem is more pronounced.  If I'm cutting anything wider than a 2 X 4 at an angle, I really need the slider.  You don't want to cut an angle by flipping it over; too difficult to get it straight.  And the blade size is not that important until you get to really thick lumber.  A slider actually compensates for a smaller blade.  So a 10" slide does more than a 12" standard.