Living with an iPad for the last month I finally feel comfortable to say something about them Tablets. This will be a general rant about Tablets, not Android vs. Apple/iOS flame war.
Tablets are here to stay. They are not a passing trend. Apple realized that the technology is powerful enough to enable us this new format of computer, thus they opened up a whole new hardware field and made it publicly available. Yes, I know there were a lot of attempts earlier but none of them were good. They lacked both good hardware and good software.
Apple also realized that Tablets are not here to replace computers as they are not Creation type devices, but rather Consume type. Tablets will not endanger desktop computers, they will endanger TV. We need desktop computers to create stuff, computer mouse and keyboard are very good interface devices enabling us to work with precision and ease. So far all of the computers had to be workstations (or in case of laptops – mini workstations), but with the invention of good Tablets it became possible for some users to stop using workstation type of computer. Why would you want that huge piece of powerful machinery just to check mail and watch new Justin Bieber video? Our workstations are like huge trucks, and you do not use huge 4x4 to drive to a nearby store to pick up one chewing gum. Not everyone needs 4x4 truck, not everyone needs workstation type of computer. Some of us can do well with just an ordinary small car and with a tablet computer.
But tablets (especially iPad) bring with them two really nasty features.