Mike- As I understand, ipad users do get more sex, but...
ipad was announced last year in January so a year out is not unusual for Apple updates. It's the new Android devices that seem to be announced every 4 weeks.
I don't believe pad devices will ever replace laptops for a variety of reasons:
1. No DVD play/recording devices.
2. No content creation of a complex nature, just very simple content creation.
3. No file manipulation / management. Pads are all behind the scenes.
If you find your use of the laptop 99% content consumption and 1% creation, then an ipad may be for you. Mine is about 90:10 consumption when away from my office so I may carry both but for short day trips, the ipad is easier and faster and combined with my cell phone for low cost internet, it's perfect!
Some things are definitely superior even to my desktop and laptop due to the apps. Weather maps are amazing. I have 4 different ones including the hurricane tracking app. All are animated over time and one even accesses webcams around the region you are viewing, just tap on the image icon and the webcam comes up full screen. These maps offer a complete weather station in just a few taps of my finger, like turning on a couple light switches. No links to recall and no long typing. Then I switch to my stock portfolio with Ameritrade and I get all sorts of charts data and research tools equal to my desktop, this integrated with video clips of news stories on business networks, etc, then tap and I have games, all sorts of games like pool, pinball, poker, chess, solitaire, and xbox like games as well. Even PONG and Pacman. tap again and I open a book I've been reading to include reference lookups that are fast slick and just easy to do. Hit one button to close an ap and it remembers where you were in a game book , website, etc when you return later. The reading is in color and makes even the Kindle better than the Kindle device itself. Like I can highlight a term in a book and search it on safari web browser as easy as placing my finger on it dragging and selecting a lookup function. Buying and installing an app is not like a laptop. You select the app from a review page called the app store, tap your finger on the order it button and enter your passcode for security purposes, and it downloads and installs within seconds.
Everything about content consumption is just easier and faster than a laptop. What isn't easier and faster is printing a document. Hopefully Apple will have this issue fixed in the new OS update.
When it comes to camera integration, the little USB port works great with most video files and still images. I even connect my Sony HDR SR12 HD hard drive camcorder to it and import video and still images. There is not one camera I own that doesn't work with the ipad.
I haven't tried the Apple BT keyboard but I have a generic fold away keyboard that works. However, the onscreen KB works just as well. I sometimes get annoyed at its spell checker and have to keep an eye on it because it sometimes guesses the wrong spelling of a word.
Just be careful about thinking an ipad will replace your laptop. That will only be possible if all you use a laptop for is content consumption plus e-mail.
BTW- for movies, you have to use something like slingbox app or Netflix as there is no DVD drive in the pads.
If you do a bunch of media viewing like long HD video podcasts, I'd recommend getting the 64Gb version.
