Why is there such a big hype about tablet devices such as iPad 2?
 

a pic of the line up in the morning to purchase iPad 2 in front of New York Apple store

http://img.etnews.co.kr/photonews//1...4_282_0002.jpg

My family has a desktop and a laptop and an Android phone but does not have a tablet.

I tried my buddy's iPad for a few minutes but did not notice what made the iPad so distinct from other devices.

Why is there such a big hype about tablets?

thanks.

The vast majority of computer users are content consumers, not content creators. That is, they view web pages, do email, social network, watch videos, listen to music, read books, play games, etc. A tablet is ideal for this, completely mobile, and can run on batteries all day. They are smaller and lighter than laptops, notebooks and even netbooks, which makes them more easily portable. They have large application collections - currently 350,000 for iPad and 250,000 for Android, through the Android apps count is growing at 3x the rate of the iPad.

I personally don't like the iPads, because of their proprietary interface and lack of expansion. My wife and I opted to get Android tablets from Archos instead. We've been very happy with them.

Tablets are more simple and intuitive for people who are otherwise computer-illiterate.

Most people don't need a computer these days. For the tasks macemoneta mentioned, all they need is a smartphone with Internet access. (I said "need", not "want", so don't point out that smartphone text entry is awkward or that the screens are hard to read). A tablet is a smartphone with a bigger, more ergnomic and more readable touch screen.

As a follow-up to dugan, you also have the option of getting a tablet without a cellular plan (using WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity only). This eliminates the ongoing cost that you would otherwise incur with a smartphone. Where I live, WiFi connectivity is ubiquitous - the cable ISPs have even lined the major highways with WiFi access points offering free nearly continuous connectivity for customers.

As a result, I use a combination of dumb phone (with the option of Bluetooth tethering) and a larger format (10.1 inch) tablet for minimum cost with maximum functionality. At some point I may even drop my cell phone and just use VoIP.

OH WELL... i don't really know either what the heck is the table hype all about.. i mean, even at school, when we go to the teacher to show our work if i'm not the first one who finishes and more than 5 people are in front of me i wait for the whole class to finish checking and then i go.
i don't like line ups. i hate them. at least wait till the line is smaller.
and less for apple ipad, it's just a big iphone

A laptop/computer/tablet PC is aimed at work and getting things done.

At tablet device is aimed at entertainment. It's a single platform with touch input, graphics, and sound. It's an easy target to hit with relatively similar specs (only one spec if working with ipad). Developers have one SDK to make all their touch screen needs. Input methods are handled for you. It requires developers to think about touch input. Also, they are light, portable, and can be whipped out anywhere including standing. All though the Xoom and ipad are a bit to big for what I would want one for.

By all means Tablet PCs should have been here already. But M$ never created an infrastructure (app store) focused on tablet/touch/pen applications aimed at windows (other than winCE which were mobile devices/phones and not 'tablet pc').

Linux can run on Tablet PCs but applications are aimed at mouse input with modifier keys Shift, Ctrl, Alt. which does not work well when you only have a pen and a few press/release keycode media keys. At least linux has a full single character recognition program (cellwriter), numerous virtual keyboards (including cellwriter), and some other oddities (qwo) for input.

I still dont get it why tablets are so hyped today

I have an HP *iPaq* tablet that was manufactured in like 2004, and there were palm tablets since like 2000. Looks like apple not only didn't invent tablets, they didn't even invent the name

Computer makers buy advertising space.
Computer writers are paid by companies that earn revenue from this advertising - it is in their interest to spruik such products.

QED.

Apple made the tablet an easy to use entertainment device that functions as an easy to program, revenue generating machine; then they advertised it all to hell as well as coming close to saying "you aren't cool unless you own an i[Pad,Phone]". You want it because it's from Apple. You are cool because you use Apple. Apple Apple Apple.

Handheld pen interfaces have typically been classified as an office tool (regardless of what abilities they may have had as an entertainment device)

Tablets are the new, shiny pebbles in the stream.

I guess Apple just showed the other companies how it should be done! Easy to use entertainment device, then they advertised it all to hell...