tigerbomb8:
To bootload or to not bootload.... that is the question
The bootloader is great when you are developing on a real Arduino. You can use the same USB cable for loading the program and for the serial monitor.
However, when I take a design I have prototyped on the Arduino and build it on a dedicated board, I always include a 6-pin ICSP header on the board so that I can program it directly, and I don't program a bootloader into the mcu.