From what I've seen, the lab is unique in the sense that it can store more than one instance of the same specific experiment (I.E. two goo/material studies taken from the same biome on the same planet). Otherwise what annoys me, from a struggling beginner's perspective, is the amount of research needed to make the lab a viable option. Its rather deep position within the tech tree aside, it needs solar panels to function properly and docking clamps to provide any sort of advantage over just sending a lander (unless there's a possibility of cleaning research instruments of other crafts in close proximity to the lab I'm unaware of). All that is a lot of science points spent on just the peripherals, making getting the lab in my opinion less than worthwhile for early gameplay. Also, I think Squad kind of missed the mark with the whole "long-term research" the lab was supposed to give. As it is now, it looks easier to send it back to Kerbin seeing as transmitting the data yields a significantly reduced amount of points. It would require repeated trips to the same place to compensate, making the process feel tedious. I agree with the idea of a lab generating a steady trickle of science points, perhaps even to the extent of biome-specific outposts transmitting to an orbital research station, with the equipment and diversity of said outposts determining the rate. I know that the science system is still in its early stages and we can look forward to seeing many improvements over time, but that would make now the most prominent time to make suggestions and comments. So far KSP is a great game, one I enjoy playing a lot. I hope that it will just continue to grow and improve as it goes.