No, the hottest topic de jour is … yes, I'm sure you saw this coming, Apple's iPad.

The first thing to point out, as many others have already done, is that "iPad" is not the greatest name. It sounds like a feminine hygiene product for heaven's sake! In fact, Mad TV some years ago. Perhaps Apple's marketing wonks don't do YouTube.

Then again, this is Apple we're talking about. The Apple that, as many see it, can do no wrong, and when it comes to the iPad, I think that there's some justification for a large amount of unwarranted optimism.

The iPad is essentially . It has a great screen, a great user interface, great connectivity, a great size and a great (claimed) battery life. It is also not a bad weight, although I've heard a few people grumble that they couldn't hold it for long while reading in bed unlike their experience with, say, the Kindle. This strikes me as a spurious argument tended by people with puny wrists.