Yeah, the only reason I started a melee Ranger is because I specifically wanted to do a full evasion build, so I actually wanted the early evasion nodes and the extra dex. Sadly, it is slow to get going and I immediately go into the Duelist tree.
This is the early build that I have going before heading towards Ondar's Guild and up the right side of the tree. It has served me well so far, but now I'm in the phase of decided when to get more health or block while heading towards acrobatics.
So, yeah, I've gotten it to work for me, but I'd love to see the Ranger starting area get an overhaul. I also wouldn't mind seeing her Act 1 quest rewards get tweaked a bit, specifically her 1st supports. Melee only gets Extra Cold Damage just as you enter the area full of cold resist mobs, so all you're really doing is increasing the cost of your skills for little return.