Will not have my iPad for another few days but I have installed iTunes on my desktop and have already downloaded a half dozen apps that I know I want.
I just wanted to make sure I will be able to transfer them to the iPad after I get it setup?
That's excellent planning on your part! If you have never had an "iDevice" (iPhone, iPod Touch or even a "classic" iPod), you will definitely want to download the User Guide from the Apple website and spend some quality time thumbing through the pages.
Getting your iTunes working good is a big head start with using the iPad. You can go ahead and get your pictures / folders setup on iTunes and they will also transfer to the iPad.