The iPad--especially the iPad 2--fits nicely in between those two extremes. It is big enough to make it practical, and small enough to make it portable. It has enough power and flexibility to do what you need it to in most cases, yet it is thin and light enough to be carried like a magazine. The same could be said of other similar tablets as well, like the , or the .

2. Stamina. , and lasts. As if the size issue of the device itself isn't enough, working with a notebook on the go for more than a few hours involves carrying the power adapter and/or a backup battery as well. I can leave my home office with a fully-charged iPad 2, and use it freely for any purpose all day with virtually zero chance of running out of juice. It has the added benefit that if I did choose to carry the power adapter for insurance, the outlet plug and USB cable add little in the way of either size or weight.

3. AirPlay. . For now, it is primarily an entertainment feature enabling me to stream audio and video content from the iPad to my TV or stereo. It works with some apps, and not with others.

In a month or so , though, the iPad 2 will be able to support AirPlay Mirroring which will literally stream whatever app is open on the iPad 2 onto a much larger HD screen via Apple TV.

What I would really like to see is more third-parties licensing the AirPlay technology and incorporating it all over. I'd like to be able to AirPlay to my car stereo, or the drop-down displays in my mini-van, or just stream content to my AirPlay-compatible TV without the need for Apple TV to play middleman. As cool as AirPlay is now, that would make it really awesome.