There are a lot of posts here about applying for the card with CBP and how to do it in GOES as it is a Trusted Traveler program for US Citizens; most of the experience reports are about travel in Asia, but most of the questions are about applying for the card.
You say it much more eloquently than I and we're in total agreement....which is why AbroadAbroad in his/her wisdom moved it here.
If one actually reads the past posts, they will get a very good feel for what to expect when using the card in various APEC economies. Most of the countries, particularly the Asian ones have been discussed at length.
And for 'newbies', this thread is extremely helpful in guiding them in the application process.