Some advice from someone who has been there....
Question number one to ask yourself is how
secure (i.e. settled) is the ground you are going to put the deck on. frost heave aside, if the house was just built, the back fill from the house is probably still trying to find it's happy resting place, so putting anything on top of it will like end up a few inches lower in a few years. In which case, pour some piles if you must build now.
Question number 2 - any plans to put in a hot tub or gazebo later on? If so, pour the piles. Alot pf people make the mistake of trying to drop a hot tub onto a deck with standard footing with disastrous results. After all, water weighs a ton.
Beyond that, it should really just be a matter of personal preference. As long as the base is properly prepared (good base of gravel - 3/4 down works wonderfully), there is nothing wrong with using the pre-cast footings to support your deck. This is what I used, and it is holding up well. I have had to adjust one footing on occasion, but all you do is jack up the section temporarily, and add (or remove) material to the base to get back up (or down I suppose) to height.
Again, your conditions may vary. Some places have restrictions on the height of the deck that can exist without having piles (and rails). In other areas, the regulations can be pretty relaxed. I tend to over design, planning for a flood, hurricane and apocalypse to hit simultaneously. I've seen some decks that frighten the heck out of me and break so many of the recommend rules, that you expect a stiff wind to knock them over.
When in doubt, peek at what your neighbors have done. Nine of of ten leading dentists can't be wrong.