First off, I am a developer, and purchased a 64GB 3G just to explore, see how I use it, and to come up with product ideas. So, I come from a different perspective than most. I also had hoped to recommend iPad to my sister, who is a retired teacher who has never owned a computer. Not yet, I'm afraid.
While I am impressed overall and think iPad has a great future and will eventually be able to replace notebook or desktop PCs for many, I don't feel it is there yet.
(Still) primitive email is one of the issues. (I use PostBox on OSX. It's far from the ultimate power-user email client, but it does what I need.) I have my mail sorted into directories on the server, so the fact that it doesn't show me messages waiting in sub-folders is a non-starter. So, I don't use email on my iPad. (It's configured, but I just don't use it.) I use my iPhone for "on the road" access - to send a quick email or check on something important I was expecting - but that's it.
I use the iPad for some casual browsing, but there are too many sites that don't support it well. Unfortunately, my cross-platform password-storage solution (LastPass) doesn't have an iPad version yet, so that rules-out any site that needs a password. (LastPass for iPhone just isn't practical on the iPad, since it uses a built-in browser.) (1Password isn't suitable because I use Linux as well and no 1Password on Linux.)
It's absolutely the best map-browsing platform ever, though.
First thing I show visitors to impress them is the Maps app. It really shows-off the advantages of the touch interface. Things that are a pain on a desktop or notebook are intuitively obvious, direct, and easy.
It strikes me that iPad is wonderful for any kind of data that can be presented in a grid format, scrollable or not. It is just so natural for this vs. a mouse and keyboard. I think that iPad may drive future desktop/notebook UI direction, as it's simply a matter of scroll bars vs. direct movement off the page using the "pointing device". Somewhere in the murky history of desktop UIs, somebody decided that scroll bars were the way to go, and there we have it... People get annoyed when their desktop page scrolls away if they hit the edge of the screen, yet it's completely natural on the iPad. I think it's because of the simulated physics - you feel in control. On a desktop, anybody tries something slick like scrolling when you hit the edge of the screen, the user panics "oh, no, where did everything go?!"
The apps have a LONG way to go! As a developer, I understand how little time developers had to bring out iPad apps, and, really, it's amazing what IS out there. The platform has the potential to equal and better a desktop OS, so I do expect serious and complete apps over the next year or so.
Though I haven't bought it, (yet) OmniGraffle looks fantastic to me! This is a total natural for the platform. Yes, it's expensive, but 1/3 the cost of the OSX version. (Despite it's confusing name, OmniGraffle is a "diagramming/charting" program. Think Visio.) I've always found these types of programs a pain in the butt with a mouse/keyboard. But this is exactly the type of problem that a touch interface is perfect for.
As far as incorporating iPad into my daily life, the one thing I use it for heavily is a bit of a surprise - iBooks. I was never tempted by Kindle. I have a LOT of tech books (and do woefully little non-tech reading) and recently have been buying paper/electronic combos. I think now I may drop the paper. I like to lay on the sofa and browse a new book, and then having it on my screen for reference when programming. With iPad, I can do my lay-back browsing. I went back and re-downloaded all of my Pragmatic books in ePub format. I'm pretty happy except for having no correlation with printed-version page numbers. (AND no correlation between portrait and landscape page numbers!) I'm even reading some non-tech books (Malcolm Gladwell, please don't hate... I guess programmers born in 1954 like to read nice things about... programmers born in 1954...) for the first time in a long time. So easy to just grab the book and start reading, rather than waiting for it to arrive and then putting it off.
While I don't have kids, I can can certainly see the appeal for anyone who does. iPad is all you need to keep the kids entertained (and educated and informed) in the car or doing the one thing that every kid hates - waiting. The entertainment apps and websites do have a way to go yet, but Kudos to ABC for pointing the way! Last 5 episodes of every prime-time show - they may have just saved their future with an iPad app. Now - everybody else has to catch-up.
Really, I think task-specific apps are the future. The kind of stuff that people pay $50-200 or so for the notebook/desktop. The kind of apps that do something specific for your widget business or frammitz collection. It's telling that this year's WWDC is ALL about iPhone/iPad apps. Unfortunately, it's going to take 1-2 years for really useful apps to become available. This is how long it takes to develop a really good comprehensive application.
Given the reality that good software takes time, what we have really is amazing. It's a good start and, I think, unstoppable.
