My only other Adept has been a gunbunny who was philosophically against 'ware, so I'm certainly not an expert on the subject, but I thought the conventional wisdom was that things like Orthoskin and Muscle Toner were more efficient than their Adept Power equivalents?
-Jn-
Ifriti Sophist
It depends on how you build, we aren't in 4th anymore. Resistance pool isn't exactly hard to come by, Magic Armor the adept power isn't great or anything, but I would never take a magic hit for a couple point for armor. It's just to easy to get armor/resistance from gear. Muscle Toner in the case prototype Trans is fine. Making a magic build that has, that kinda cash isn't super easy, but it can be done. But when you think about it, adept scale more easily and efficiently then their tech counter parts, you can add another power point for 13 karma, less if your in magic group, and that point can be a whole point of physical attribute or 2 points of skill, or another a level of improved Reflexes. A starting Adept with Improve reflexes 2 (+2 reaction +2d6) could go to level 3 for 13 karma or less. Doing that on a Sam takes 2 essence and over 200k. 13 karma is probably about to 2 runs, 200k is probably about 20 runs and that makes the very big assumption the character has 2 essence to spare.
The point is, it's lot easier to add power points then it is to add upgrade cyberware. A starting character shouldn't have a complete build right out of the gate, there should be room to grow, it makes for much more interesting characters that way. Further the advent of Ki foci, adepts now have a place to spend money to get still more power points. It's also good to keep in mind, adept don't have to simply be magic street sams, Adept Deckers, Face Adepts, you could even do a rigger adept, so there's lots of options, and once you have reach the peek of one activity type with your adept it's just as easy and efficient to begin pursuing another.
Also keep in mind augmented max is augmented max regardless of it being cyberware or Magic. One just takes lots of cash and the other a pile of karma.