I've been a dedicated Mac user for about 2 years. I purchased a MacBook Pro 3 years ago, and used it just for traveling. The turning point for me was struggling for about 20 minutes to connect to an Airport WiFi network, and while I was sitting there 3 different people with Macs sat down and immediately loaded webpages. That made me envious.

The other part is that I saw how quickly the Apple laptops wake up (and sleep). That also made me envious. I've happily trusted Apple to make a device that I want to use to accomplish the task they built the device for. This is an important distinguishing factor, because trying to use an Apple device for a use not intended is very frustrating. This is why I still use Linux servers, and can't imagine ever switching.

With this all in mind, when I looked at the iPad there was a moment of confusion. What is this device? What are the competitors? The UMPC segment isn't there, and the iPad is different than tablets. I honestly don't think there are competitors on the market now (JooJoo doesn't count), but there certainly will be (the HP tablet, etc).

The iPad is the natural evolution of the iPod. The very first generation iPod hit the market with an MSRP of $399. Not very far off of the $499 for the iPad, released 9 years later.

The iPad is pushing the limits of current technology, much like the iPod did back then (for those people questioning this statement, I dare you to look at iPod competitors back then.)

With technology at the point it is now, the current crop of personal media devices is going to be the future. Apple did not do this abruptly, they have been slowly removing and testing the waters. The AppleTV was the first device for media consumption, and it largely failed. The iMac and Mini were full computer that was largely non-servicable by the end-user. The MacBook Air was the closest shot, a closed device without a lot of ports. This was the perfect litmus test to see if people in general were willing to start giving up on things they didn't use.

This is where we are at. We have purpose-built devices that excel at what they're built at doing. In the case of the iPad, it's exactly that: a pad. Much like a pad of paper, this is the new generation. It isn't a computing device, nor should it ever attempt to be one. It will fail at that, just as much as the current "Tablets" fail at being competitors to the iPad.

You don't want background tasks on this. It's a single-task type of device. Push notifications and perhaps event loops are important, but on the iPad (or any other Pad device) you should be focusing on a single task. This is the expectation the device has of its user.

The technology is to be able to quickly flip between tasks. This is where Apple has a leg up on competitors and I am not sure if the competitors are going to truly understand that the quick-task switching is the killer feature. One which Apple does well with, but I still think they could do better.

So after sitting with my iPad for a couple days, both using it as a productivity enhancer and just a media consumption device, I still think they have a hit. it's exactly what it should be. It isn't perfect, but none of the first generation of devices are. I'll be buying the next generation when it comes out, and be very happy.

Pros:

1. Vivid screen. Very impressive, readable and perfect.
2. Orientation Lock is fantastic.
3. It works exactly as you would expect.

Cons

1. It's heavy. I'll build up forearm strength simply reading in bed (a pro?)
2. There is disparity between applications on which way is down. The case should resolve this. Certain applications have fixed orientation (usually games) and that "Down" direction may be counter to what is natural to you, and it doesn't rotate. As an example, Harbor Master's "Down" is contrary to the case.
3. Apps are expensive. More screen real estate does not automatically make something worth more. The app itself needs to be more. There isn't the "14 Day Free Trial" editions on the iPad, and because of that it precludes me from buying a lot of applications I'd like.
4. The App Store. It has too many limitations. No free trials, the iPad/iPhone split isn't clean enough.

Now, each and every one of those cons is temporary and I'm certain will be resolved within the next couple of years. I'll be on my 3rd iPad and probably my 5th iPhone by then, and enjoying every one.