Apple iPad 2 (16GB, Wi-Fi, black)

Pros: Best of the tablets. Sleek, smooth, fun. Fantastic for gaming, checking some news headlines, quick weather reports. I don't see it as a powerful travel device as much as a fantastic little house gizmo. A coffee table / couch novelty if you will. The graph

Cons: Let's be frank. The tablet market, not just Apple - but the industry as a whole has yet to define its purpose. What is it doing better than laptops, netbooks, and especially the new super slim laptops like MacBook Air or comparable PCs? iPads, like all ta

Summary: So while tablets are fun toys, I don't think they've justified themselves just yet to be more than gaming / casual surfing / movie devices. I don't like the lack of Flash on the iPad, a huge setback in terms of maximizing the web experience - why pay for Hulu when its free on your laptop? I don't think they or anyone has yet to come up with a viable solution to the difficulty of inputting data on these things. I think that will come, I imagine the future being a more effective multi-part laptop of sorts, or a re-introduction of the stylus, or lip reading recognition. Thought recognition? This issue needs to be addressed because as smooth as the interface is, the beauty of the web is the two way conversation you can take place in, not just mindlessly paying for apps and viewing content slobbering all over your little thing in your lap. That's the other struggle, I find using an iPad or any tablet, you eventually want to set it down. This means on your lap, or on a table and in either instance, it's far more awkward on your neck and body than a basic laptop.

The up-close screen intimacy and the feeling of it not being a computer is what we're falling in love with. One can realize that an iPad actually feels like a bigger screen than even a huge screen computer because you're so close to the image when you use it. There is something to this, and there is something to the ease of use of touch screens. Clearly, it's a natural thing to touch reach out and grab what you want to manipulate, but thus far tablets feel more like prototypes. I'm excited about them, and patiently waiting to see where the market goes, but I don't think we've found the laptop replacement just yet as so many are claiming.