When you create a new account under "Mail, Contacts, Calendars" within "Settings", you are presented with a screen showing the relevant features (Mail, Contacts, Calendars, etc.) with On/Off sliders next to them (the screen you mention).
Depending on what kind of account you are creating, they may all be On, or only some may be On.
If the Mail option is "disabled" (Off) by default when you create an account, all you have to do is slide it On. It's not confusing...
I have iCloud, Google, and a work email account on my iPad and iPhone. Some functions I use on all, others I only use on one or two accounts.
As a test, I have just added a Yahoo email account to my iPhone. By default, Mail was On (as was Contacts) when I got to the aforementioned screen during the account set up.
When I first added my Google account, Mail was On.
When I first added my work email account, Mail was On.
When I first added iCloud, Mail was...Off
So, yes email is "disabled" by default
for iCloud.
But, this is because:
1) You do not need an iCloud email address to use iCloud. You only need one for iCloud email (& strangely also for "Notes"). You don't need one for Documents & Data, Backup, Find my iPhone, Contacts, Reminders, Bookmarks, Photo Stream...
2) You do not actually have an iCloud email address until you first enable (turn On) Mail for iCloud and then, when prompted, create an iCloud email address.
So:
- It has
no need to be On by default, as most iCloud functions do not require it.
- It
cannot be On by default, as you do not have an iCloud email address until you first enable it and create one.
I would not call this a case of the iPad coming "with email disabled"... It comes with no email accounts at all (obviously), until you follow the simple on screen instructions to add one.
I set up my iPad 3 myself, after receiving my online order via courier. Ditto for my iPad 2. All of my iPhones (every model since the 3G) have been bought in the shop, not online, but I also set up those myself too. I know my way around iOS, and it is quite simple...