Tablets Suck
Soup the tablet up as much as you want. Give it more cores, more RAM, better video and it will still suck. Why? As novel as the input interfaces are, either touch screen or dictation, they suck for anything more complicated than clicking links and reading e-mail. There is a growing myth that Ma and Pa who click links and read news articles make up the vast majority of computer users. Mean while, students, power users, gamers, and corporate users are programming, gaming, writing reports, making power point presentations, making spread sheets, doing their taxes, editing photos, managing collections of files, what else? And the computer industry actually thinks touch screens and dictation can do this well? Alright, you try doing this efficiently with touch screen, see how fast you tire. Ever play Wii? Try talking to your computer for 8 hours straight (and I know a deaf guy who programs in C++ with dictation). Give me a break. Tablets suck. Don't be fooled by friends and advertisers ... they're a novelty item at best, but more like a lightbulb (look Ma, it lights the room for 9 hours straight! How power efficient!).
I'll continue to enjoy efficient input and visualization with my keyboard/mouse and dual 28 inch screen setup. If I want portability, I'll use my slightly bulkier laptop which still beats the iPad's 7 or 10inch touch screen.
I thought tablets were silly, too, but then I was given an iPad as a gift. Suddenly, I didn't have to carry around a binder full of academic papers. I didn't need to print out sections of dissertations to have easy access to them. It was convenient for me to pull something out at a bus stop or on the bus and actually use my time for something productive. Do I think my iPad will ever replace a my PC for programming, spreadsheets, Powerpoint, gaming, etc? No, I don't. Do I think the iPad is a great way to carry around a library full of relevant textbooks, dissertations, and academic articles? Yes, and it does it very well. It goes from sleeping to full speed in the blink of an eye, and it's a lot less bulky than my laptop. It's easier for me to hold the tablet comfortably and read it, regardless of my location.
In short: Could I live without my PC? Absolutely not; I need one to do all of my work. Could I live without my iPad? Absolutely, but it's certainly nice to have one.