EWeek has a good overview of core Automator technologies and functionality, including a number of good screenshots. They do have a word of caution, noting "the current lack of conditionals gives scripts no way of handling error conditions other than to simply abort the script. Developers creating custom workflows for customers in the Mac's professional content creation or scientific and technical markets will need the more complex scripting capabilities offered in the current tools".
Macworld makes the insightful observation, "Will everyone use Automator? Probably not. But those that do will save so much time, they'll be way ahead of people who don't."