When the iPad (or similar device) can play games, then I might consider it. I don't mean flash games, or browser games, or stuff like that, I want Sins, Elemental, Dragon Age, etc. Until they can do that, I'm sticking with my laptop. But if I wasn't a gamer, I could totally understand the appeal. Hell, it's appealing now even though I'm a gamer.

If Onlive manages to be successful, that day may be just around the corner.  Provided you don't find their business model too onerous.

Borderlands on an iPad (Youtube)

The iPad is a great device. I bought mine mostly so I could access the Internet when I'm not at home where it's plentiful. But I also bought the keyboard dock and use it for light typing, blogging, stuff like that.

A PC or laptop replacement? No. A great albeit expensive device that is fantastic for consuming the web and doing light work? Absolutely.

They appear to be switching one graphics load (game) for another (HD Decompression) - hence the CPU requirement.  That said, they did get it working on an ipad, which is a formfactor significantly cheaper than most PCs designed with gaming in mind.

From a processor standard, your processors aren't getting faster, but we can place more of them down.  Therefore we're looking at a future where a device with only one core will become rarer and rarer, to be reserved for low-power designs.  There are still a couple of reasons why Onlive and the business model that they are putting forward may not work, but I don't think the dual-core requirement is one of them.

It depends on the user.  If a person is primarily a digital consumer, rather than any form of producer, then an iPad or similar device with its properties which Brad outlined makes a lot of sense.  So the question then, is how many people actually need devices upon which they produce digital content away from the office?

My point with the Onlive reference, is that as we get better at making digital content lightly consumable, better video compression, streaming games, etc.  Then for the vast majority of users (who only consume, not produce) the iPad and devices like it become a better and better choice.

Yes, but unfortunately, we don't all have amazing internet, nor are we always connected to it. I would suspect OnLive doesn't work too well if you're using the 3G on more expensive iPads (but I haven't actually used it, so maybe I'm wrong). And yeah, I dislike their business plan. I want to actually own my games, not rent them.

How about just double clicking the movie or the DVD drive ? And don't You use Your own tools like OD+ or Fences ?

In the state it is now, the iPad still is an oversized iPhone for me. So I'll stick with my iPhone 3GS and for other tasks I will use my tuned eeePC netbook or my full Asus laptop if I need a bigger device. Will get an iPhone 4 when the rush/run for it has calmed a bit though.

heh.  I left my pager at my third job. 

j/k.  Anyway, you make really good points.  I'm not an iphone guy (though they are fun) or an apple fella.  However - tech that simple does what I want it to do is a big deal without requiring expert tech skill level.  You make good points. 

what about that keyboard though...

You like money and that's just fine.  You should do some development of apps on the apple front just for the money.  If I owned a software/distribution platform, that would seem like a no-brainer to me.  Any reason SD hasn't written ipad/iphone apps?  Or have you and I missed it?  

I think this sums it up -

you cant compare an iPad to a Laptop - they are built for different purposes as you also mentioned.

While I can develop applications/ run a SQL Database/ Connect to the Internet/ Watch a Movie/ Read a Book/ Play an Online Game/ Video Conferencing/ Run Flash Apps/ etc on my Laptop -

I would never think of doing such a thing on an iPad - i would however look at it to

Share photos/ Play music/ Read a Book/ Watch a Movie/ ...

Each has its own purpose and niche -

Personally - the iPad has a cool factor that a laptop doesnt -

Although i have to disagree with the statement 'It just works'

So far - everything on my Laptop - just works - i can connect to any WiFi - easily - and watch a movie - play a song - etc.

To each their own- hope you enjoy your iPad!

Oh yes let Stardock do iPhone apps and the development for the other apps will slow down even more or just vanish. Good idea... But maybe we will see that coming nevertheless with Brads iPad enthusiasm all the way ?

you cant create art on the ipad or type..... so pc and laptop still win hands down. to me, ipad just looks like an oversized ipod....*sigh* i dont like it

* iDock?

thing is though, would you really want to be constantly looking at e-mails and other work related stuff all the time? as has been said when a laptop is off, its off with something that is connected permanently such as a smartphone or an i pad there may come a time where there is always something that has to be done and free time goes out the window

I'd flip the topic around to "Why the laptop makes my future iPad purchases uncertain". There's *nothing* an iPad does that a laptop doesn't do better, and it can't do many things that a laptop can.

I think he listed a bunch of reasons in the post.