Why should one go for iPad : iFAD?

In one of our team meetings recently, the topic jumped up again, "Why should one go for iPAD? Is it a Fad?"

There were mixed views for iPad. Some were of the view that iPad is a great product with advantages of being light and easy to carry. One can carry it along for presentations or on travel to read. Many others were of the view that a laptop can do much more than just presentations and reading. Finally, a general consensus was formed that probably "an iPad is a rich man's second laptop"!

Not long ago, we had termed laptops as "rich man's second computer", I didn't even realize when we moved ahead of that era, now I rarely see those big Personal Computers being purchased with as much vigor. Everyone seems to get Laptop or even better a Netbook. So, the confusion gets even worse.

Some more points to be pondered on.

• The smartphones are becoming smarter. I think by the end of 2011 we will have smart phones with 3D projection capabilities, connectivity to all sort of networks and of course a processing power that can bring a laptop of today to shame!
• Do we recall a device called "Pager"? It was a sort of "Twitter" on the go! Wasn't it revolutionary? Where did it go?
• How many devices can a person carry without getting pissed off? One of my teachers once told me that a person can't manage more than 2 activities at a time: home and office, office and personal relationship, personal relationship and studies, studies and office. I think that time has been a proof for that statement, and I firmly believe in it. Extending the same theory, I am of the opinion that a person can't manage more than 2 devices successfully. Most of us must be having a laptop and a phone. If I bring in a iPad along, then one of the 2 former devices have to go! Either a laptop or the phone. 
• It is unlikely that we will go away with a phone. What else can we put in our pockets, hold in our hands and talk for hours on? Surely not an ipad! Until and unless we have custom designed clothes to hold them :)

There is no conclusion to this post. Rather, I am still confused on where we are heading to. Conclusively, I can only say that out of Laptops, Netbooks, Leaptops, iPads, phones, smart phones, smarter phones, Kindles, Adams and ... we will have to choose only 2 devices at a time. Most of the devices will converge into others and new devices will evolve over time. More fads will come, some will stay some will  not even be mentioned in history.....