> Also this tablet might also run Ubuntu or ChromeOS. Which means that the OS won't be nearly as integrated with the hardware as it is on the iPad. Or that the tablet's UI won't be designed specifically for the device it is on. Or apps that it will run won't be designed specifically for the device and instead will be generic, to the lowest common denominator (which, most of the time, will be a phone, not a tablet).

Please correct me if I'm wrong here, but it seems this means you would prefer a device that didn't have any advanced capabilities so that way all applications won't attempt to use any? Making the iPad without any extensibility was a design choice because it would be easier to make applications uniform? You would prefer to use a hindered device by design rather then software that selects its functionality based on available hardware? By contrast a gigantic portion of applications for the iPad will be designed to be run on a phone... the iPhone. I think you underestimate or don't fully understand Android.

I don't intend to sound condescending here, I am truly curious.

Personally, I prefer a platform, where I won't potentially run into an application designed for a device with hardware that I don't have. I would prefer a device that is consistent. It doesn't have to do everything under the the sun. It just has to do what it claims to be able to do, well.

By contrast a gigantic portion of applications for the iPad will be designed to be run on a phone... the iPhone

Can't really talk about specific UIKit additions, due to the NDA. But, there are plenty of them designed specifically for the iPad. Skim through this photo set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fraserspeirs/sets/7215762322426... to see a lot of the things added in by Apple that devs can (and almost definitely will) be using in their apps.

I think you underestimate or don't fully understand Android.

So all of the stories about apps working on one phone but not another, on 1.5 but not 1.6, with a physical keyboard but not an on screen one, they're not true?

Without even getting into the multiple generations of iPhones, each with different processors and hardware capabilities, the iPod Touches that don't have cameras or the fact that applications written for the iPhone/iPod Touch will run on the iPad, I'll just point out that the 3G iPad will have GPS and the WiFi iPad won't.

So what where you saying about not wanting a platform with applications designed for a device with hardware you don't have?

When you buy an iPod touch, you buy it with the understanding that you cannot use any camera or GPS-based apps from the App Store.

When you buy a phone running a more generic OS, you can't really be sure if any given app will work on your phone, especially if you don't have a popular phone. I'd be wary of buying an Android phone outside of the G1, Droid, or Nexus One for that reason alone.