... as far as I know (I am not a guitar player) offered sthg new in terms of sound, from the beginning. This instrument just excels because it gets apparently very close to the real thing, with some practical advantages (tuning, replay option, weight). This might be very helpful (and I am curious to play one ASAP), but I don't see how it is groundbreaking. The style of the article made me think that I am reading an infomercial.

It's not groundbreaking. Lamborghini didn't invent the car, either. Both are still awesome, though expensive.