So... a minimum $500 non-portable iPod Touch with a big screen and no-flash support or multi-tasking? Yeah that's useful.
 
It'll still sell like crazy, but I bet you don't see many people actually use the damn thing. It'll sit in the cupboard with the Sony AIBO and Tamagotchi that they also thought were a great purchase.

I agree with Jeff and found a way to sum it up why the iPad seems so impractical to me:
 
It's a large screen web device that doesn't support the 'large screen web'.
 
No Hulu.  No streaming Netflix.  No GameTrailers.com or crazy drunken GiantBomb crew using Ustream.com to create an internet wormhole during Star Trek Online LIVE?! 
 
 Worhtless! 

Nope, not into it at all.

So people are trying to predict how much this will fail. Just like they did with netbooks, ipod, iphone and basically any new tech. Do people never learn?

This is going to fail, I don't see it being the next revolution like the iphone and the iphone, you can just buy a Macbook, which is pretty small, use MacOS and have a real computer, not a stupid giant ipod touch, even other netbooks are more practical than the ipad and some of them have touchscreens.

I feel that most of Apple's products are overpriced and overhyped for no good reason really.

Or you could just get a netbook.

Hmmm...  A bigger iPod Touch? That's a very simple way to describe the device. Seriously Jeff, I appraciate you and your opinions about video games but about other areas and technologies I think it's much better read the experts. No offense but there are other sites that analyze this device with deeper understanding of Apple and mobile technology and actually they had hands on it, so defining the iPad as a bigger iPod Touch is considered a lazy opinion.
 
Altough I agree they should chose better games to show. It's just for casual gaming, not for hardcore gamers.

Personally I think if you don't see how big of a deal iPad is then you really just don't get it.  No slight intended.  It's the perfect non-laptop in many ways.  It is great as a "wife computer", ie for casual users.  But not just that, it's perfect for casual use. 
 
I am a programmer, mostly web development but also applications (and even dipping into iPhone OS dev), so I use a computer ALL DAY and I will never replace my MacBook Pro with an iPad. 
 
However, if I wanted to flop onto the couch and read a book or check my e-mail, i'd love the iPad in that setting.   Heck, have it laying next to me while I'm playing my Xbox 360 or PS3 for quick web access (gamefaqs, cheaters) and e-mail. 
 
It's not for games (beyond Bejeweled, etc) although I do think Nova and some of the racers are decent mid-level game experiences.  It's for snapping onto the wall and looking at a recipe (which my wife tries to do awkwardly with her macbook already).  And I really think the web will be really nice on it as well (unless you are a hardcore forum junkie).  All it needed to be was a bigger ipod touch, and that is exactly what it is. 
 
Snap it onto the back of your seat and play a movie for the kids too, maybe having the wife in the passengers seat using the iphone as a remote?  It is a "lifestyle" device, the sort of thing that is perfect for everyone not like you and me 99% of the time... aka... most everyone else! ;)

Well how about we put our money where our mouths are.  Well okay I guess we can't make real bets on Giantbomb, but anyone willing to go out on a limb and make a real prediction?  I'll say the iPad bombs like crazy in its first iteration, they make some real improvements for the next go around, then it will sell at about the level of a low end Macbook and level off at about there.

They should've just called it the IPod (pronounced Capital iPod)...then they could launch a whole new line of "Capital" products!

" @SeriouslyNow:  Ouch, really?  Prepubescent teen?  You're reply was fine without the immature jab at the end.  My point was simply that the purpose and target of the product is being overlooked.  Yes there are other entries in this market (and until the iPad is actually released and being used discussion is merely theoretical), but it looks like a top quality contender.  Look at the Kindle DX, same screen size and slightly taller, and a bit lighter, with 4GB of memory and a 16-shade grayscale display - all for $489.  That makes the iPad stand out at $499; especially with a full color IPS display.  I suppose you could hate the bezel if you want as well, although I see it as practical.  With a touch screen you would want to be able to hold it and not be touching the screen.  "

I dont know how usefull this would be to me personally or professionally.  I work in the IT department of one of the larger banks and they keep pushing stuff like this onto my desk (we had an iphone trial a few months back) trying to interface it with the stuff we already have.  Its not customisable, its not upgradeable and if it breaks it has to be back to Apple to fix....  Theres also the issue of it not being able to run flash, not a huge issue except most of the sites our employees use on our internal web pages need that just to open up.  Fine for the Wii market probably of non tech folk but as a gamer and an IT professional this looks like a jump back to me.

Well, I'm getting one. I already use my iPhone to read eBooks, watch movies and surf around a bit before I go to sleep. Having  a dedicated device for this on my bedstand is going to be great. That I can play the occasional iPhone game on it is just an added bonus (Broken Sword, Simon the Sorcerer etc is something I really look forward to play on it for example).

I may have to get one of these despite it not being a great gaming device

I'd get it for other reasons, $500 is a nice price.
 
The possibilities of the apps is what gets me. But it would be better if it had an external port.

I think you guys don't quite understand the potential of this product.  

The world is still buzzing about the Newton.