First, before commenting on the i-Pad itself, let me say, Michael, that I was really knocked out by the writing in this article...the opening paragraphs are just so.....right!
I also am persuaded, as a 5D2 owner who has never bothered to even try the video functions, that you may well be correct about a new reason for convergence - it has always seemed to me that DSLR video was an answer looking for a question. Eh, well, that's probably just ME.
The i-Pad looks fantastic - a game changer. I own no Apple products currently, and have never used i-tunes. But I have had a Kindle2 for almost a year now. I dismiss it for its faults as much as I embrace the i-Pad for it's virtues. What I love about it's capacity is that I have books I love and read many times on it, as well as some I want to or should want to read...most of these were free, classics past their copyright time. AND, I have PDF's of every equipment manual I need, as well as a number of books on photography and birding published in PDF format. All in one device.
The E-ink technology in the Kindle falls short. The lack of backlighting is the worst and largest part of its failure, to me. No touch screen, and the inability to organize contents in any sort of folder structure are interface FAILS. And lack of color...? Well, I knew what it was when I bought it. Many things about the Kindle ARE right, but I soon stopped carrying it as I could only read in bright light environments.
The i-Pad is brilliant in that the interface is hugely functional AND familiar. The use of IP-S LED screen is a blessing, and what will make it a huge success in the Photographic community. I don't want to load RAW files on it at all, much less process them. But, as mentioned, this looks to be a killer portfolio display device.
Convergence: I stopped carrying a pager and a watch once my cellphone could fit comfortably in my pocket. Then I upgraded to a Blackberry a year or two ago, and would never, ever go back to a standard cell....In the i-Pad, having a netbook capability with the size, weight and format of an e-reader, all in a device with touch-screen functionallity...well, give me a built-in phone with a bluetooth earpiece in the i-Pad, and I will say the future has arrived and found not wanting.
I can't wait to get one, although I expect the 64GB model to be closer to $900 than $500...it's Apple, doncha know?