Does the iPad deserve all the hoopla it’s receiving? What’s another gizmo to those of us working in the creative disciplines, business or finance?

Not surprisingly, a product this unique arouses curiosity regardless of your line of work. Yes, it has promise for on-the-road productivity or as an extra monitor.

But the iPad is a leap into a new user experience that goes beyond mere gains in productivity. Tech journalists are documenting the event as a new page in the history of computers. The iPad warrants this honor for several reasons.

Because it’s a new category of mobile device
It’s unlike your other tech gear. The screen size makes it very different from an iPhone. The multitouch screen and software makes it very different from a laptop. More than any smartphone or laptop, the iPad has the potential to change your routine.

“The iPad is so fast and light, the multitouch screen so bright and responsive, the software so easy to navigate,” says David Pogue, New York Times columnist,  “that it really does qualify as a new category of gadget.”

Because of the iPad apps
According to reviews published online by The New York Times, the apps coming out for it represent some of the most exciting software ideas in a long time. Apple says that 150,000 existing iPhone apps run on the iPad. They appear in actual size, or, with a tap, double to fill the screen. Reviewers extol the pleasures of reading on the iPad. Newspaper apps reproduce the layout, photos and colors of a real newspaper.

The new iBooks e-reader app is filled with “endearing grace notes,” says Pogue. “When you turn a page, the animated page edge actually follows your finger’s position and speed as it curls, just like a paper page.” To get the dictionary definition of a word, just tap it. If you read in bed on your side, switch the rotation lock on  the iPad and the page won’t rotate.

The display is large enough to make the experience of apps and games enjoyable. The Scrabble app shows the whole board without the need to zoom or pan. You can use Skype to make voice calls through the iPad’s speaker and microphone.

Netflix has an app that gives access to their full-streaming library for $8.99 a month. You can also watch the Netflix archive of older movies. Apparently the company is preparing for the day when DVDs become obsolete.

Because it extends web access
The Wi-Fi model works with any Wi-Fi network in your home, business, health club or hot spots around the world. AT&T supports at least 20,000 hot spots, 11,000 of which are at McDonald’s restaurants.

The Cellular iPad, available for purchase next month, gets online either using Wi-Fi or AT&T’s cellular network. You buy internet access on AT&T’s 3GS network when you need it. For $30 a month, you can order unlimited internet service. For $15, you can buy 250 megabytes of internet data.

Because it’s durable and portable
Apple’s new device, for all intents and purposes, is a super-sized iPod Touch. It has a glass top and aluminum back. You tap and drag on the glossy 9.7 screen with your fingers. Typography is crisp, the images sharp, and the speed quick.

The glass doesn’t scratch with jostling. “It’s built like a tank,” says Pogue. You can carry it around loose or toss it without a cover in your bag. Best of all for a portable device, the battery gives you 12 hours of  watching videos, reading email or working on documents.

Because of touch-screen computing
The iPad makes sophisticated computing possible to a greater range of people, even technophobes. The iPad’s simple touch interface makes manipulating digital material—books, music, video, photos, websites, email—easy and satisfying. Directly touching a screen is more convenient many people and easier for even for the elderly and the very young.

Because it’s the perfect blogging tool
Because the mobile blogging iPhone apps now work on the iPad, the device is considered the perfect research and writing tool. “A main part of writing an entry is often the research you need to do, says Frank Branckaute of Blogging Pro. “With no multi-tasking available (One app opens at a time, just like on the iPhone) the iPad will help you focus on doing just your research, reading and even writing.”  Another reason is the $30 unlimited data plan, giving bloggers the option to “blog from anywhere” for much less than the iPhone.  Branckaute once posted a 1,400-word article from his iPhone, squinting his eyes and cursing the keyboard, he says. With the iPad, he just had to get used to typing on glass. The keyboard in landscape view is nearly standard-size.

All in all, the iPad enhances our digital lives. The novelty may wear off in a few months, but who could go back to answering email or squinting at newspaper articles on an iPhone?

The only question is: Do you wait for the next generation? Apple will probably add flash compatibility, video, greater storage and who knows what else for a lower price.

The Wi-Fi model costs $500 to $700, for storage capacities from 16 to 64 gigabytes. Add $130 to each price for the cellular model.

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