The "Best way to experience..." Eh, not so sure...
Hum,
The iPad appears to be a hybrid of a tablet PC and eBook reader. Sadly it doesn't seem to do either well.
As a Kindle DX owner, I am an advocate for eBooks, and clearly the iPad has addressed two of my gripes -- No Color and garbage keyboard. Plus I LOVE my other Apple products, so I was sure they would "do the right thing" when they entered the market.
However the Apple device may be an also ran to the Kindle because of:
1) Screen Quality
2) Battery Life
3) First Cost
Too bad Apple couldn't have waited for OLED technology to catch up. OLEDs have fantastic optical properties in terms of viewing angle and contrast, and are power saving as well. While the iPad screen is a slight upgrade to the tradition TN screens, but simply can't provide the "easy on the eye" experience of e-ink.
While 10 hours on a charge is a good benchmark for a laptop (or netbook), is is horrible in terms of eBook readers. My Kindle DX runs for weeks of heavy use on a single charge, not 10 hours. I can tell you I spent a LOT more than 10 hours as a student in class and in the library each day, so as a textbook reader they need to get the capacity up to about 16 hours before I'd be comfortable that I wouldn't run out of power mid-lecture.
In terms of cost, making the 3G connection a separate item was a mistake in my opinion. Without that, eBook delivery will be difficult, falling far short of the Kindle experience. (Anybody who has ever tried to get a WiFi connection working at a hotel or coffee shop knows the steps needed to establish an initial connection).
Add the fact that the Kindle weighs 19 ounces vs. 26 ounces, and I'm not sure the ergonomics of the iPad are there either.
Finally, Tablet PC, this isn't. I've been using a Fuji tablet PC for several years as a "couch potato browser". I agree that the web experience on such a device is better than heaver laptops with keyboards that are hard to type on. So I agree that holding the internet in your hands is a good thing. Elimination of the stylus is a step forward. But it isn't a replacement for a PC, despite iWork being available for it. So it is only partial tablet PC solution.
And, of course, lack of flash support really means that even as a "internet in your hands device", the experience is limited at best -- ABSOLUTELY NOT the "Best way to experience the web", as Apple claims.
In summary, I'm happy Apple has entered the market, competition is always great, and I agree that there is room for a third category of mobile device (between smart phone and laptop). So as a conceptual product this is great step for Apple -- I give them an A+ for the concept. But in terms of execution, given the limitations of the technology they are using (far behind leading edge), I say it only rates a "C".
Bottom line, despite being an Apple Fan Boy, I see absolutely no reason to purchase this device. Even the desire to be the first one on my block to have one doesn't outweigh the shortcomings. As an Apple stock holder, I sure hope I'm wrong but I fear that the iPad is just proof that Apple can't hit them out of the park all the time.