Boom. Except the ending. Apple won't be "hurt" by this because they've got mindshare, marketshare and ecosystem. BUT, every knock-off tablet sold is the loss of a potential iPad customer because nobody needs two tablets. And its going to be tough for some to say "The iPad 4 is worth 6x more than that TouchPad I bought in 2011".
Sure, no one needs two tablets, but that doesn't mean that consumers will keep the touchpad until it dies either.
I am thinking people who got this right now will probably sell it or give it away and get an iPad 3 eventually. Unless they happen to fall in love with WebOS.
So basically it will delay some people's purchase of an iPad, but not forever.
Maybe the lesson learned is that Apps aren't everything. People act as if the lack of Apps = Useless, but in reality then a browser, PIM, and social networking is all most people need. So I think we've learned that there IS a $150-200 basic tablet market out there.
100% Agreed. For my wife for example, a tablet that can surf the web smoothly and watch videos on YouTube, maybe play a casual game or two like Angry Birds or Tetris is MORE THAN ENOUGH.
Maybe this will show the Tablet makers that instead of aiming for high end features or a multitude of features, that if they stick to the basics at a basic price they could make a splash.