Given that the virtual keyboard works decently well, here's the financial reasons I'll likely be getting a first generation iPad:
- Portable photo frame. I'd end up paying about $250 for a really good photo frame. The iPad looks like it will be even better than the wonderful Sony high-end models.
- Video frame. I'd willingly pay $100 for a bigger video watching device for when I'm traveling and other situations. Currently I use my iPhone for that, but the size of the iPad is much more attractive for this functionality.
- PDF reader. I'd guestimate it would be worth $50 to me to have a good size PDF reader when traveling, at home, and in other casual situations. I can use my iPhone for this, but the screen is a bit small. I already have great PDF viewing software with my iPhone that will transfer over to the iPad.
- Sketching. Okay, maybe this is only worth $25 to me. But there's some very good finger-sketching software available on the iPhone. Yet that screen is too small for my needs. However, on an iPad this finger sketching software now becomes quite useful for a variety of needs.
- Email and web. If the virtual keyboard works decently well (i.e. I can type without having to look at the keyboard all the time) then these two pieces of functionality become quite useful to me—again that extra screen space makes a difference, especially when viewing and writing to discussions at my course websites.
- OmniFocus. OmniFocus is my "to do" software of choice. It works great on a Mac, works great on an iPhone, and the syncing capabilities are solid. Adding my iPad as another device that incorporates OmniFocus would be a plus.
There's likely other obvious things I'm not thinking about right now that would make the iPad useful to me. To me the iPad is like having a great sweatshirt—casual and comfortable. I wouldn't wear/use it in formal intensive work situations at all. But for informal, less keyboard intensive work (or play) it would be fantastic. Given the price point (about 50% of the price of a laptop I would buy), the complete package becomes very attractive.