Me, too. Was one of the original corps of Unix folks years ago in Berkeley. And I've been using PC's for nearly as long. Currently have a desktop, a laptop, and a netbook; all very capable systems. The iPad 2 is my first venture (other than an iPod) into the Apple ecosphere.
I find it amusing that there's a dedicated cadre of anti-Apple folks out there. Just as rabid a group of fanboys (and fangirls) as the Apple-only crowd.
The iPad is not a universal computing device. And in adjusting to it, I've found a number of attributes I don't like. But with a bluetooth keyboard it has largely replaced my netbook when I travel. Furthermore, it's the only "computer" I have that I can share with my six year old daughter and can even let her play with (largely) unsupervised.
IMO no manufacturer has achieved the nirvana of a "killer device" that obsoletes everything else. The iPad obviously fills a rather broad niche somewhere between the capabilities of the best smartphone and a notebook. As better Android tablets are introduced, the iPad's weaknesses will be more widely recognized (or eliminated). But at the moment, its strengths and uniquely vast set of applications make it a game changer.
Those who don't recognize the value of an iPad either don't have or don't know they have requirements that the iPad meets brilliantly.
