Obviously, reasonable people can disagree on this one (unreasonable people do a lot of disagreeing about it as well), but it's my opinion. I've had an iPad since it was first released. There's a lot I like about it, but if it broke tomorrow, I wouldn't replace it and wouldn't miss it (much). If you disagree, I'd ask this: If you had to throw away one device -- your notebook, your smartphone, or your tablet -- which would it be? I'd wager most people would choose their tablet.

Why is this important? Because if a device is absolutely necessary, you make compromises in order to have one. After the introduction of the original Macintoshes, the personal computer rapidly became a necessity for many people. If they couldn't afford a Mac, they wouldn't hold off on buying a computer, they'd buy a cheaper Windows PC. Same with the smartphone: Lots of people wanted an iPhone, but it was expensive and only available on AT&T. Not having a phone wasn't an option, so they tried Android alternatives.

Few people would say they absolutely have to have an MP3 player (or, I believe, a tablet). That means if they can't afford the one they want now, they can wait a few months until they can. (And, of course, if you can't afford an iPad, you can't afford a legitimate tablet, period. More on that in a moment.)

Lots of MP3 makers tried to compete with the iPod on specs: "Ours has an FM tuner!", "We support more audio formats", etc. The problem: Nobody cared. For audio players and, I'd argue, tablets, specs are meaningless compared to the user interface. You want an interface that's clear, smooth and attractive. (For tablets, you also want lots of app options, another area Apple has a huge advantage in.)