I go to Starbucks at least twice a week, and I've yet to see one there. The only places I've seen them is at a graduation party and a few days ago at Wagamama (asian restaurant). In contrast I see a Kindle nearly every single day on the bus or in Starbucks.
I can imagine them selling quite well now, but I can't help but feel that people are buying them because they're a shiny, new Apple product, rather than because they're the future. I'd love for the iPad to do well because it would push innovation in an area of computing that greatly interests me, but I cannot help but feel that the current experience the iPad offers will only corner it into being a novelty product that won't last. I'm also willing to accept that the reason they don't seem as popular in the UK is because they're far too expensive.
Until the iPad can offer a day-to-day experience that offers something a laptop cannot I really cannot see it keeping its success going for more than three or four years.
The day-to-day experience gain of a tablet should be that it's way more available. I'm not convinced the iPad form factor fully achieves that, but it's at least a great proof of concept.
It's pretty much moot to ask a tablet to do something functional that a laptop can't. Anything a tablet can do today, a laptop can either already do or can do tomorrow.
Similarly, there's nothing a laptop can do that a desktop can't. I used to have a desktop that had carry handles and a keyboard that clipped to the base unit. But somehow, that concept no longer appeals. Not that I've ditched desktops, but I figure luggability wasn't as good as designed-in portability.
I can imagine them selling quite well now, but I can't help but feel that people are buying them because they're a shiny, new Apple product, rather than because they're the future. I'd love for the iPad to do well because it would push innovation in an area of computing that greatly interests me, but I cannot help but feel that the current experience the iPad offers will only corner it into being a novelty product that won't last. I'm also willing to accept that the reason they don't seem as popular in the UK is because they're far too expensive.
Until the iPad can offer a day-to-day experience that offers something a laptop cannot I really cannot see it keeping its success going for more than three or four years.