However, it can’t replace a netbook, laptop or desktop so it ends up being something you only buy if you already have those bases covered. This is different to the iPhone which, as well as being somewhat more affordable, had an obvious use and replaced any existing smartphone.

I see it as a very interesting but niche product at the price point – especially since it’s likely that the price will be relatively high in the UK if Apple’s form is anything to go by.

You note on Stephen Fry’s blog that Apple releases polarise people. As someone who doesn’t own any Apple hardware and is in no rush to do so, I think it’s because of the endless hype and the smug attitude.

I won’t be buying an iPad because it isn’t a computer, and I want a computer, to do computer things, for that much money. Actually I already have a netbook which as you point out, does a lot more than the iPad for (as Mr Jobs snidely pointed out) a lot less money (even if it doesn’t look as nice – I bought it because it’s a small light computer and if that makes it cheaper than a laptop I hardly think that’s a drawback).

However the main difference is that tech blogs, mainstream news and everyone else don’t get as excited about every other non-computer weeks before they know what it actually is to the point where other interesting stories are excluded.