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this article:"I'm another Apple fanboy (since the original 84 Mac) who held off buying another netbook until the iPad specs were announced. That same week, I purchased a Dell Mini 10v because it's so easy to install Mac OS X 10.6 on.
Unlike most of the Web consumers of data who find the iPad perfect, I'm a professor who does a lot of writing (typing). I wanted the Dell 10v in part because the keyboard is large enough for fast touch typing. I have 2 gigs of RAM and a 500GB hard drive. It's basically a very compact Mac with lots and lots of storage.
However, I can understand how cool the iPad is. My daughter (age 16) decided to wait for version 2 because she wants a web cam for video phone calls using Skype.
Finally, the whole iPad phenomena saddens me on several levels:
1. Apple is making a ton of money on a device for consumers of information rather than creators. That doesn't bode well for future choices of those who create.
2. Given that started with Macs in 1984, the "new Apple" that wants to control every aspect of a users experience and applications is just plain wrong. With each passing day I'm getting closer and closer to Linux (Ubuntu or Mint).
3. I don't think Google is the answer unless it stops acting as an operating system supplier and starts selling ONLY it's on branded devices. What good is Android if there are a gazillion versions floating around? That just leads to fragmentation where no developer wants to develop for a hundred different Android devices.
4. Microsoft isn't the answer either because they simply have never understood or cared about the individual user. They always put IT people and big organizations first. It shows when independent users just want to do cool things on hardware without jumping through a lot of hoops.
5. Finally, for Linux to ever be more than a geek niche thing, there has to consolidation of all the different flavors of Linux. All the resources that are now being expended need to be focused on one or two Linux distributions–Ubuntu and one other distribution. AND…most importantly, a way must be found (via application of antitrust law or via "screw Apple hacks") so that iPads, iPhones and iPod Touch devices can be accessed by Songbird and other Linux applications. Without that, nothing else will matter."