Is April here yet?! (The non-3G, Wi-Fi-only version will be available in March.) At only $100 more than the high-end iPod touch, one can own the base-model Apple iPad for only $500! That's an unexpectedly low price for a mobile device that blows away the iPod touch for people who use it like a tablet, and is also not far away from other vendors' flagship eBook—only—readers.
This blogger pre-ordered the very first iPod the day it was announced, and would have already reserved an iPad if it were possible. There's some concern that its 1.5-pound weight might be a bit too heavy for overhead reading while lying down. Blame the hippies for pressuring Apple to use highly recyclable materials such as aluminum and glass instead of lighter synthetics. 
Some people are whining that the iPad does not have a built-in camera. Those people are probably the strange few who think augmented reality on a small slate is a good idea, or the ones who feel they can hold a forward-facing camera steady. Maybe someone will ship a Skype camera and speakerphone dock accessory. Yours truly would rather have real GPS over a built-in camera.
Some other people are complaining that the iPad doesn't support Flash Player, or multitask apps. Both of these problems can be solved via software. Think of the lack of Flash player as a built-in ad-blocking feature. As for multitasking, Apple may get around to it eventually, at least for the iPad. Here's hoping they do a better job than how webOS handles multitasking.
Finally, the people who don't like the 3G options in the US should STFU, and get the iPad sans 3G a whole month earlier. It looks like 3G support in the US will be limited to AT&T since the iPad reportedly doesn't support T-Mobile's 3G band. AT&T is providing truly unlimited data for $30 a month without a contract. It's a good deal compared to 5 GB at $50 a month with a Sprint 2-year contract.
Having waded through an entire section of tablet crap at CES, the mind still boggles that only Apple seems to be able to conjure up "magical" creations like the iPad. Techies may dismiss Apple's impressive feat of software and hardware integration. The real revolution will come if print publishers and their readers are inspired to embrace digital delivery of newspapers, magazines, books, et al.
