And Vronko worried that what he found inside the iPad may mean this first version won't stand up to the competition, or the test of time. "Apple didn't go overboard on what they put inside," he said. "Is this enough hardware for the next 20 months of app development? I don't think it is."

Consumers trained to expect their smartphones and cell phones to last two years -- the length of most mobile service contracts and the time between upgrading phones -- may be disappointed by the iPad's inability to keep pace with rivals, or even developers.

"After a year, it starts to look shaky for this iPad," Vronko argued. "Remember, there will be lots of other tablet-based hardware [to compete with the iPad] by then."

Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at or subscribe to . His e-mail address is .

in Computerworld's Macintoshes Knowledge Center.