I've trashed more Vetta's than I care to remember. I don't know why, but they never last. A few years back, someone told me to try Cateye - and, sure enough, they keep a lickin' and keep on tickin'.
In reality, unless you're training for competition, you'll need few functions - and you'll prbably leave it on the tripometer/odometer most of the time anyway.
But if you are serious about training, then the opposite is true - and you'll probably want everyitng including cadence. But if you're serious about training, then you'll also want a heart-rate monitor.
So, to me, it's always been kind of an all-or-nothing decision.
I'm not sure about wireless, though...anyone else?
Dave