I definitely went this route, at the recommendation of my LBS. I had never ridden with cleats before (this was my first time cycling since I was a teen) and he had me test them out on a store bike. After a brief adjustment period I really liked them, especially the efficiency gains of being able to use the whole pedal stroke for both feet rather than just the down stroke on each foot.
But I also wanted to be able to let friends ride the bike too, so I went with some Shimano dual sided pedals and haven't regretted the decision. Also when I want to just bike somewhere and have to lug an extra pair of shoes, I also sometimes use the platform side.
Now that I've been bitten by the cycling bug, when I buy my next bike, which will probably be a road/drop down handlebar bike, I'll probably put clipless-only pedals on that one.