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No, PAE should not be routinely required.
The pointing accuracy also doesn't depend on how well polar aligned the mount is, only on how accurate the 2- or 3-star alignment was. After doing just a 2-star alignment it also depends on the mount/scope's inherent cone error (the whole gamut of geometric errors hiding under that term).
If you take care with 2- or 3-star alignment (use a reticle eyepiece, be as accurate as you can, enter the time correctly to the second, enter your location as accurately as it lets you) then subsequent GOTOs should be good.
I find PAE useful (and used it sometimes) when hunting for objects that are on the verge of visibility. I want to be sure the object is in the centre of the field before straining my eyes, trying eyepieces, filters etc. So I do a PAE step on a nearby star before going to the faint object.
The hand controller cannot automatically adjust the pointing accuracy after a GOTO and manual correction. It cannot know whether you're centring the object after the GOTO, or just panning around.
Cheers
Steffen.
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