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I have to concur that for some tasks and uses, battery life will be problematic. Not so much for others.
A few things to keep in mind:
• Battery tech has tended to lag behind other advances, often disappointingly so.
• Claims about battery life are, as far as I can tell, exaggerated across the board (including for eInk devices). So a tablet that claims to get 10 hours according to the manufacturer is going to fare a lot worse IRL.
• Most batteries tend to lose capacity over time, especially if not managed properly. So if you start with 10 hours of (real) time, that number will drop as time goes on, potentially causing issues down the road (especially if the battery isn't user-replaceable).
• Using current tech, a tablet with a 6-10 hour battery life will wind up being 2x or 3x heavier than most eInk devices, whose battery life is typically measured in days.
• Tablets will not only use more juice for the displays, but for the processor, RAM, video drivers, input, more wifi/wireless usage and so forth.
Will battery life be a "tablet-killer?" For some tasks and uses, I think so -- especially education and real travelers who happen to be heavy readers. Commuters, for example, probably won't find it to be as big a deal -- unless the associated weight bothers them. Same with the occasional readers, who will want to use a tablet more for video or apps, and presumably won't mind charging every night -- especially those who aren't spoiled by typical eInk device battery lifespans....
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