I think you're missing the point. The current crop of tablets do an excellent job of browsing the Internet, running apps, serving as an e-reader, and much else. I bought a 3G iPad the day they were released and use it constantly. If you want to consume content and information, it's wonderful.
I'm happy that it lacks any kind of mouse, stylus or physical keyboard. The gestures are completely natural. So much so that I use it unconsciously and can browse the Internet faster than with any other device. I keep the laptop and a desktop around, but they don't get that much use.
The 3G data plan saves me money, as well. I don't have to look for a WiFi signal for the laptop. I can get online anywhere I want, any time I want. I don't have to pay a hotel for WiFi access. Add the Bluetooth keyboard and I can get through email, etc. faster than I can with a laptop. Best of all, the iPad hardly weighs anything. It and the keyboard go unnoticed into a briefcase, unlike the laptop. It replaces about 90% of what I need a laptop for, as well.
Also, there's a lot to be said for the interface. I have a somewhat cranky 81 year-old uncle. He hates the computer and is dismissive of pretty much all technology. I handed it to him a few weeks ago and showed him the basics. Within minutes, he was using the NPR and NYT apps. He "got" it and was fascinated. Loved the backlit screen and larger fonts, too. When he found out that it would hold hundreds of books and his favorite albums, he was sold. (His birthday is next month - we're getting him one.)
On the other hand, I got the kids an iPad to share for Christmas. The 6 year-old can put it through its paces faster than I can. The other night, my brother-in-law told me that besides when it's charging, that iPad is constantly used. When the kids go to sleep, he and my sister use it all the time.
I've been into computers since 1977. I've used every major OS and platform. Never, not once, have I seen a device that bridges the generations like an iPad and makes almost all of the benefits of computing and the Internet accessible to everyone.
Sure, you can go on an anti-Apple rant, complain about the performance specs, price, features X and Y missing, and all that. But there are a lot of people who have no use whatsoever for learning how to install a video card driver, partition a drive, and all the things that traditional computing requires. They just want to access information and content. They don't want to learn obscure protocols that change every 18 months. This is something for everyone. It changes everything.
"But it's just a big iPhone." And the criticism is what? The iPhone is the most useful piece of tech I've ever owned. I only rank it slightly ahead of the iPad because it makes phone calls and I can pocket it. But if I have the iPad around, I find the iPad more useful.
Before the usual criticisms roll in, I've been using Linux since late 2002. I can run Linux from the command line. I've built quite a few computers, too. Hell, I even had my mother running Linux. (We configured it for her.)
Even then, I still like to get out the iPad and read the news at night. One additional benefit is that I can use it while also having the cat in my lap. She can make laptop use difficult.
