For me my iPad is indispensable. I use it to create preliminary art sketches for my job, I do most things on it that I used to do on my laptop. Instead of having a cell phone with the accompanying bill, I pay 30 dollars a month for unlimited(yes I'm grandfathered in) and I have unlimited texting and even have a phone app that I can use when I absolutely need to talk to someone.
I also do the normal browsing and occassional video watching too. It is much more comfy to browse from my couch than my office chair. I bring my iPad instead of my laptop on trips which saves a bag as I just stuff it in my purse. As for reading, I have a dedicated ereader, a kindle, that I won't trade for the world. I actually bring both wherever I go. So for me, my tablet is most certainly not a waste of time. It helps pay the bills, is my communication when I'm out and also is my entertainment when I am not reading on my kindle. To each their own I guess. Oh and by the way, I am typing this from my iPad on my couch
