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I haven't used a desktop PC in 10 years; my laptop is my main machine, and I guess I now use an iPad in conjunction with it the same way many people seem use a laptop or netbook with their desktop PC <shrug> whatever works for you, right?
I'm pretty sure the iPad was never marketed as a computer or computer replacement - it's a tablet, not a tablet PC; it was meant to sit between your smart phone and your computer, to handle lightweight web/email/video/podcast/photo browsing & reading duties - though many people, myself included, find it an incredibly useful work tool for taking and reading notes, displaying photographs and plans, maps, a large screen SatNav etc.. etc..
Obviously if your work involves heavy-duty integration with Microsoft Office, lots of text-entry, reliance on Flash-based content or built-in connectivity for external storage/USB/SD cards/HDMI etc.. etc.. then it's safe to say that the iPad in its current form definitely isn't for you, and perhaps never will be. But then it was never meant to be - the above list of requirements weren't met by any of the previous tablets I had either, including a string of poisonous Fujitsu machines running WinCE; the closest that came to being usable was an HP/Compaq TC1000, and that was an everyday battle on account of having a desktop OS forced into a tablet-esque form factor.
Luckily most of us live in a largely free society where competition dictates that even if our needs aren't met by a current device, there's every chance that something will be along shortly that will do the job we want. Of course, whether that device can be brought to market at a price we're prepared to pay (and I'm not just talking money here) is another matter, and another debate.
Cheers, Pete
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