Hey,
Yeah, I'll bet Akai are really raking in the dough with those. They're a complete ripoff as far as controllers go: $300 for a controller that can only send 16 notes? However, they're unique and satisfy a need for people who want to do pad-style programming on a PC.
Just wait a few more months before you come across other companies making similar pad-style controllers for $150 or even less...then the usual debates about 'which is better' will follow, and the discussions about what they actually do will come shortly after, etc.
Nick