Since you asked what the fuss is about, i'll give my humble summary here: - they do stop better. The leverage that comes with hydraulics, plus the very small gap you mention makes for potent stopping power. - If you buckle your wheel, no problem. Your disks will still work fine. - If you ride through sand, mud and other crap, this stuff will not (or is less likely to) clog up your brakes. There are also several downsides, some of which you've already discovered. Would be interesting to know which brakes you have. I think the newer Shimano brakes have eliminated several of the problems that plague disk brakes.
