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Tablets are basically giant smartphones--very useful, but few people would find them adequate as a sole or primary computer. They're primarily for viewing or consuming data, and much less robust when it comes to producing or manipulating data--a 'client' device, not a 'host.' Their OSes are built on phone OSes, and do not run desktop applications, and even those tablets that can host USB peripherals have limited compatibility (though most can use bluetooth peripherals).
Now, if you have another PC to serve as your primary workhorse and storage, a tablet may fill the gap where you would otherwise be using a laptop (and/or ereader, and/or audio player, and/or be confined to your phone). My Nook Color is considerably more convenient to carry and use than my old netbook or any laptop I've owned. I could use a bluetooth keyboard, mainly for forums and email/social networking, but even for that stuff a decent software keyboard (I use Thumb Keyboard 4) does the job. For ebooks, comics, and newsreading, it's great. I'm not terribly satisfied with any of the pdf apps I've used, but pdf is a gadoffal format on pretty much anything except an 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper.
Basically, a tablet is only a replacement for a laptop if you didn't need a laptop in the first place.
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