yeah, shaved parm doesn't distribute the flavor as well as grated parm(shaker parm is still shit). I'd rather just get a block of parmesan from the store and grate some of that over something most times. Grated on a salad, you might as well include it in the dressing at that point as it won't really give the rest of the salad an opportunity to stand out on its own while you're eating it.(this is assuming you don't drown a salad in dressing like Tammy does, and appreciate the taste and texture of fresh produce unlike Fatty).More often than not, the shaker cheeses are packed with fillers, sawdust, etc. However, I prefer shaved parm as an accompaniment to salads and not much else.
My favorite method is to cut the wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano into small blocks, and grind them down in my food processor. The texture you get is perfect.