That's basically the size of A4 writing paper (slightly larger, but a pad of paper on a clip board would be the same dimensions). I haven't tried it, but I'd assume it is quite nice for note taking/sketching etc.
To me it has weirdly uncomfortable ergonomics, and it's still nothing more than a jumbo iPhone. I have long tried to like iPad but I find no use for it.
I got one for work use, and it slowly turned in to my at home laptop replacement. Definitely shines at casual consumption, the only time I use it productively is when it acts as a second display (meaning my laptop is productive).
Regular uses:
- Streaming video, cool and quiet, unlike my laptop (especially if it is sitting on fabric, like a lap or bed)
- Dual monitors on the go using duet
- Quickly looking things up with someone else (instead of sharing a phone screen, or starting a computer)
- Playing games in places where a laptop would be uncomfortable (heat and noise) or overkill: human resource machine, worm.is, hearthstone
- Skype (including conference calls)
Less commonly:
- Insanely long battery life for replaying downloaded videos on flights (last flight was ~15 hours, ~8 hours watching iPad video, <10% battery used)
It's great for sheet music, my main use case. The screen is large enough to display music from IMSLP without making me squint. A 9.7" iPad is a bit too small for comfortable reading at the piano. An iPhone is unusable.