I never saw the need until I bought and used one. It really did speak out and say, "Look, there may better ways to do some of the things that you're doing now. Try it like this, and tell me what you think." It takes the (flawed) notion of, "we do it this way today because this is how we did it yesterday" and flops that on its ear.
You have to shoehorn it into your digital workflow, as there really isn't a void there that needs filling, but once it's it there, it's tough to do without.
That's kind of the beauty of it: you don't need to use it, you just want to use it. It makes certain things easier -- or it gives me the appearance of making certain things easier, at least. And suddenly, there does seem to be a void that exists if you're ever without it.
It's like different shopping styles: some people tend to decide that they "need" something when they're casually browsing at the store and that item suddenly comes into view, then it's as if they could never live without leaving with that item. Some people, on the other hand, decide that they "need" a particular something before they even leave the house, then they go out, specifically get that item and that item alone, and they're done, no matter what other items cross their path while they were out. Getting the iPad was the definitely the former, not the latter, and I suspect it's similar for many. I know quite a few iPad owners -- none of them specifically went out and got an iPad to fulfill a particular need of theirs that the iPad alone could fulfill. In fact, I think, because the iPad was really the first truly viable tablet-style computing device on the market that NOBODY had an absolute "need" for one, and so, at least initially, EVERYONE was buying them just to see what's up with this fun, little, new device.
With the maturing of the iPad, I suspect that many more will be purchasing them due to needs, not wants. I see this apparent in the medical and education fields -- they've proven to be reliable, portable, and in many cases, more efficient alternatives to things like paper charts, textbooks, and pen/paper; enhancing those things in ways that the former solutions just couldn't (when was the last time you watched a video of a seed sprouting in a textbook?).
The future will be interesting. In the meantime, I want my dang-ol' retina display iPad already.
