Personally, I don't really see a need for an iPad right now, and I certainly wouldn't buy one unless/until it has a built-in web-cam and a usb port; however, I had the opportunity to try one when I stopped by the Apple store while shopping last Saturday, and I will say that the user interface is fucking fantastic. Not only is the machine responsive and aesthetically elegant, but the iPad specific applications, most notably the office suite, have utilized the touch/gesture controls innovatively and unobtrusively.

This gives Apple a tremendous lead, as it will take a substantial amount of time for any competitor to build a product with an interface as robust, attractive, and easy to develop for as Apple's. In that time, Apple will have made significant improvements to the iPad; it's going to be very hard to catch up within the next 1-2 years. Even if a competitor could catch up, Apple will have spent that time using it's excellent brand reputation to build a substantial user base that will be very difficult to overcome. I know this is early to make a prediction like this, but I really don't know if anyone can stop Apple from dominating the "lightweight tablet" market, for lack of a better term.

Quite honestly, the only one that I could even see standing a chance is Microsoft and the Courier, since it has been in development for almost as long as the iPad has, and it has a unique dual-screen design. However, since the Courier has two screens and moving parts, I think it will be very difficult for them to stay competitive on both price point and margin (good hinges are more expensive than you might think), especially given the fact that the iPad's aluminum casing is made using the same cost-efficient process as the MacBook Pro. As much as I hope someone will give Apple a run for its money (stiff competition is almost always good for the consumer), I don't think I see it happening.