It hasn't been quite a week , and the buzz is still buzzing. Nearly half a million people have taken the iPad challenge, according to Apple, including several residents of Cringeville who were kind enough to write in and tell me about their experiences. Naturally, they fall into two camps: pro and con.

[ How does the iPad stack up now that it is real? Find out in Paul Venezia's . | Take InfoWorld's tour of . ]

Because I'm cranky and negative by nature, let's start with the anti-iPad crowd. Reader R. S. M. writes, "Out of 1,000,000 toys that I could buy with $500, I found the iPad was right at 999,998." Leading to the obvious question: What's on his list at 999,999? (I'm betting it's .) He adds:

That AT&T is the carrier bodes ill for use unless it is open, at least in the region I live, so your experience may vary. Here 50% or more of all AT&T phone calls are dropped in good weather. For three months of the year 60% or more are dropped. Verizon is only slightly better.

Another reader firmly in the No Camp is reader C. S. She says, "iPad? No way":