Well for the first 23 years of my drinking career I was the binge drinker that you described first, the last 4 years I was a steady binge drinker who drank 5 out of 7 days a week heavy, then binged even worse on weekends. I basically progressed because I had more free time and more money.
The problem with being the first type of binge drinker was that I never really thought I had a alcohol problem. I could stop for periods of time and it seemed to me I was just like everyone I hung out with. When I became the second type of drinker it became pretty apparent that I had a problem.