I've had an iPad2 in my home for a year now. It is there for work reasons, as I've been skeptical about the Tablet concept itself, and would have not spent the money on it if I did not have to. Since I had it, I forced myself to use it. My findings are:

1. I still would not spend money on it. But that is just because the iPad itself is, as a matter of fact, a mobile phone on steroids, with some differences. But:

2. Hardware quality is superb, as it is for the iPhone 4. That I like. And the display is very nice.

3. I could definitely not, although I tried, replace my netbook with the iPad. Again, as expected (see 1).

4. I am admired to how well Apple is targeting users who had no significant experience with PCs, the Internet, etc. Indeed, the iPad is simple and effective to them. This is very good job, indeed, but also the reason why I feel very much the same as Mark and Doug. I prefer much more my nettop.

5. The most important thing, for me. Form factor. It is super. I would have never said that if I did not own a tablet. I completely underestimated it. As a matter of fact, when on the couch watching TV, it is great to browse the internet on a tablet, and so much more pleasant than with the nettop. Or, carrying the iPad around in your bag and using it as a navigator, or to quickly access to the internet, it is very, vry nice. And, size and weight do make a difference and I completely understand those of you who prefer to carry an iPad rather than a nettop, assuming they can do with the iPad what they need. I'd do the same.

6. I too can't wait for Windows 8 to make a Tablet as powerful as a "real PC". I really hope they do it well.


Unrealted note, Metro on a laptop or desktop.
The idea sounded weird to me as well. But, I happened to work for few weeks on an all-in-one PC by Lenovo with Windows 7 (so, not Win8) and a touch screen. After few hours, I actually started to behave just as MS describes in its famous W8 dev blog: some times I instinctively touched th screen, others I would move the mouse, others the keyboard. Slowly, it went from weird and confusing to ok to natural to actually good. Eventually, i felt I actually was more productive, or quicker in doing what I wanted to do. So, I have to say I suspect actually MS has an interesting point. And, I was on Win7. Windows 8 is actually promising in this regard.

Matt, I don't know about you of course, but I've been using Windows 8 on a desktop of mine which I use quite often, although not my main PC at work, and I really never see Metro on it, nor I need the start button. All the reasons why I use the start button on my Windows 7 are actually carefully listed in the Windows 8 menu you pop up with the right-mouse click where the start used to be.
So, while I think now that Metro on a touch monitor, no matter how bit it is, will possibly be quite good, I am also not at all concerned by Metro on a non-touch. I doube I'd ever have to see it if I don't want to. Probably for a fraction of a second to logoff?