The iPad music market has certainly matured a lot in the last year but none of the apps do anything you haven't been able to do on a consumer grade PC for the better part of a decade already.
An article that refers to iOS Garageband as a "21st century DAW" could only be written by someone in total ignorance of how much more powerful the desktop alternatives still are.
Just at a much lower cost on the iPad. The PC software packages for soft synths are often hundreds of dollars. Dedicated hardware can set you back thousands. I've spend maybe $100 on iPad music software and have more to show for it.
I think you're going to see a lot more apps like Figure and a lot fewer serious instruments unless people get used to payer higher prices for apps.
I get far more searches for the VST port of my iPad synth than I do for the iPad app itself, for example.
And given that creativity can come at any time you are far more likely to be near to your iPad then your desktop.