The main thing about the iPad to me seems to be the question of portability. You can without even thinking about it, take an iPhone or other pocketable cell phone device with you wherever you go, and other than the plastic scratch-guard around the edges, you’re not worried about having to lay it somewhere where it might get damaged or stolen because it’s not on your person. Laptops in contrast, are something you have to both actively think about taking with you when you leave home or office, and you have to think about where to store it when you and it are away from home and office.

On which side does the iPad fall? Women will probably have an easier time adapting, because you can put one in your bag or purse. But most men don’t carry murses wherever they go, so for the iPad to have the same freedom of mobility that the iPhone does, you basically either have to get a murse or return to the olden days of the leather briefcase (in which case, the option of a full-sized notebook or even a netbook becomes just as viable as the iPad, even if the hipness factor is far lower among the first-buyer set).