Question : Terminating cables routed in the wall / drop ceiling - just RJ45 connectors or patch panel?  Pros / Cons of each?

This is (I think) one of those questions where there's no real right or wrong answer.  I think I know some answers, and I want to hear from experts what they think about these (and any other answers I might have not thought of).  I'll give points to all that share their thoughts!

In a small office, I'll pull, a few drops (3 - 7?) of solid cat5e data cable from each PC location to a corner of an office / closet  where the 'server' (typically a win xp pro machine), cable or DSL modem and unmanaged switch / router would be.  At the PCs, I'd terminate the cables to cat 5 keystone jacks in wall mounted faceplates (although, even here, why?) and use a stranded cat5e data cable from that wall mounted faceplate / jack to the PC.

At the closet end, how to terminate them?  

2 ways in general?:

A. crimp a cat5e plug on the end and insert it into the switch and be done with it?

or

B. punch it down into a patch panel and then use a cat 5e stranded jumper cable to go from the patch panel to the switch / router.

some people say that A is more subject to failure - the solid cables can't take as much flexing as stranded.  But in a closet, they will see 0 to no cable movement?  And if you do have to cut back the cable, you may not have enough?
But this way, there is only 1 connector.

In method B, this is more expensive, this has the patch panel receptacle, jumper plug, jumper plug on the other end and then the switch receptacle.  Several more places for corrosion / a bad connection to fail.  each end of the jumper cable and the patch panel is a cable / connector junction to potentially fail.  The cable is secured to the patch panel so it won't move around and fail

being a small business / just a few drops, the need to change things (like in a bigger company closet) is minimal so that isn't a valid argument for a patch panel arrangement like in a bigger company (you aren't doing add / move changes)...

Your thoughts?!

So A is simpler, cheaper, but B looks better typically with higher costs and more connection points?

Answer : Terminating cables routed in the wall / drop ceiling - just RJ45 connectors or patch panel?  Pros / Cons of each?

Having worked in the structured cabling industry for a few years, having your cabling running from a RJ45 Jack to a Patch panel is by far the most organised solution, and can help to preserve your cabling, solid core cabling is prone to breakages through excessive bending over time.. but if it's static in  the wall, and in the cabinet it wont break, you can then use a more durable stranded cable to connect from the PC to the wallsocket, and from the switch to the patchpanel.
Also, by doing that, you arent limited in length of your patch lead from the wall to the PC where the length would be fixed if you didnt do that. (careful you dont exceed your 100m limit!)

Using patch panels etc do mean you have more components, however, most outlets are covered unless there's something in it, and patch panels should be in a  relatively clean enviroment anyway. It might be a extra cost, but it's by far the most flexible solution - and you'd be surprised just how many changes you might make over a single year!

The only benefit of going without patch panels etc is that you'd be able to buy yourself some lunch with what you've managed to save.

Regards,
Rob