I'm warming to this device slightly. Part of that reaction has to do with the fact that I am a firm believer in Apple's marketing genius. More than any company I can think of, Apple knows what the consumer wants before the consumer does. Most companies are reactive; relying on slicing and dicing market research in an effort to gauge what people bought yesterday so that they can develop that same product today.
Simply put, I know Apple is smarter than I am. I can see, with the right content, that this device--and particularly its later iterations--could become something that is attached to its users at the hip. Also, it's a testament to how revolutionary the iPhone was that the iPad seems slightly ho-hum to me. The lack of camera, aspect ratio, etc. are annoying. In some ways, it makes me wonder if the Steve was faced with a decision: Do I get this thing done now, less than perfectly and let it develop; or do I wait until it can be exactly what I want and try to not die in the interim?
My conspiracy theory is that Jobs's (justifiable) sense of mortality might have thrust this thing into the spotlight just slightly before its time. Regardless, I will reserve judgment until I get one.
Did any of you get past the third sentence?