I played through ME1 as an Adept. Wanna know a secret? I didn't use powers, either. Took to long to recharge. Pistols were OP in that fucking game. Damned near sniper accuracy at range, fast cooldown, high damage and shit like Shredder Rounds or Tungsten Rounds ensured that no enemy was capable of standing up to your trigger finger.
ME2, however, is a lot more balanced. Hasty recharge on things that matters (ammo powers, singularity, pull/throw, etc), while super powers had a lag (cloak, charge, adrenaline). Oh, and pistols are still the go-to weapons for classes other than Vanguard and Soldier.