Congrats on your new toy m8... Your going to love it!!!
Here are a few apps that I find I most likely could not live with out on my Tab.
ADWex... It's not free, but for the few bucks its well worth it. Runs really smooth and is some much more customizable than the stock TW launcher.
Tapatalk... Again its not free (but you can get free using Getjar app), but if your going to use your Tab alot to surf and post in forums like AC and XDA it is well worth the change...
Getjar... This one's free, you just need to Google search "GetJar.apk download" or go to there site (mobile version I think) to get the apk file for it. It's a good alternative to the Android Market and they usually have a couple of new "paid" apps a week that you can download and use. Not 100% sure how the free paid app thing works... Most likely the app is sponsored like the free paid apps in the Amazon Market.
Dolphin Pad or HD... It's free and is so much better than the stock browser.
WeatherBug for Honeycomb... It has a free version that's all you'll need.
If your planning to use your Tab for work/school some apps you may want to check out are...
GoogleDocs and EverNote... Both of them are free and both are great for saving space on your Tab.
Also check out DropBox, Box.net and Minus... Their online (cloud) storage sites with apps to go with them. They all offer a free amounts of storage, I have about 15GB worth now and again its a great way to save some space on your Tab.
I keep all of my work related stuff in Google Docs and EverNote, all of my pictures I take with my eVo and Tab on Minus, things like wallpapers, icons and zip files on DropBox and Box.net I use for videos shot with my eVo and Tab. And the other good thing about using these services is that all of your stuff is available to you at anytime and anywhere. As long as you have an Internet connection you can go to their sites using any tablet, laptop or desktop cpu using the browser of your choice.
For things like news/books...
I use apps like "APPY Geek", "News Republic", "CNN", "USA Today" and "Engadget" for all of my local, world and tech news needs. As for books I use the "Amazon Kindle" app and the stock "Books" app.
On Rooting... That's more of a "your call thing"... I've had my Tab for over 3 months now and haven't really found a real reason to root it. It dose have its pluses and its minuses. My opinion... Give it some time, get your Tab all setup and use it for a bit. Read everything you can about rooting and its pluses and minuses and make the call for yourself.
A few other apps I use daily are...
"Wifi File Pro" their is a free version as well... I use it to transfer everything to and from my Tab. The only time I have a wire connected to my Tab is to charge it. It works through the browser on my laptop.
"aTorrent" for movies and things!?!?!
"Android Widget Pro" (free version) for Facebook and Twitter widgets.
"Google Music" for all of my music.
Also check these links for some really kewl ways to setup your Tab.
Hubs setup:
[Layout] "Hubs" Nav+ Update - xda-developers
Galaxy Tab homescreens :
Post your Tab homescreens! - xda-developers
This is a good site for reviews and such on apps that are optimized for tablet use:
Android Tablet Apps, Games & Reviews?|? Tablified
That should give you something to do for a bit... Tell the Missus not to hate me!!!!
Sent from my Galaxy10.1 TouchWiz/ADWex equipped Starship.