We asked: Did you buy iPad -- and you answered!

The iPad cometh this Saturday to an Apple Store near you -- or in a pretty box delivered to your door. No doubt, this week the rumor mill will again run wild about what to expect. I've been wondering about rights usage for ebooks. Can Apple do better than Amazon or Barnes & Noble? That answer is best for a blog post, but not this one.

March 21 post "Be smart, don't buy into iPad hype" was 98 percent about blogger, news media and Wall Street bias favoring Apple. I ended the post "by conducting an informal survey, asking simply: Did you buy an iPad?" Nearly all the comments answered that question, rather than address the post's main topic. That's perhaps commentary on the topic, my writing, interest in iPad -- or all three! I've grabbed a sampling of the best comments about preordering iPad. With that introduction, here are your answers to the question: Did you buy an iPad?

TheLoneDeranger: "My iPad will replace my laptop. It does everything I use a laptop for now, plus it has touchscreen features. It will be better than my laptop for reading books."

Maymne: "I'm not buying an iPad, nor do I especially want one...I have an old iPod touch 1G that runs whatever music/games I need and don't really care for much else."

mark_m: "I bought an iPad because I have been waiting for a good multitouch implementation on a good-sized display/touchpad. Apple has shown me that they can do this; none of their competitors has demonstrated this to my satisfaction. Even the closest, Android/Nexus-One, still feels surprisingly clunky compared to the iPhone."

rwalrond: "I have not ordered an iPad, but will probably get one for the company in a few months as we decide if we want to create content on it or not. On a personal level, I'm waiting to see how the HP slate turns out before deciding if I want a device like this. I'm thinking I need it when I'm on the road, and I would like to be able to do the same things I can do on my desktop (Yes I still use desktops) so the HP slate may be a better choice for me."

Christopher Buckland:

I find it humorous how a company and its products can totally draw the proverbial line in the sand. Very reminiscent of 'I'm a Ford man!', quickly followed by a hearty, Well, I'm a Chevy man!'

I think the iPad will be a success for one reason: Apple changed the game on everyone else. No longer will tablet PCs be a laptop without a keyboard. They will be big iPhones, or iPhone look-a-likes, or iPhone clones (Thanks nameless Chinese company,) and function the same as their phone cousins, minus the telco thing -- ahem...That is what Apple does. They don't create products for markets, they create markets for products.

Did I pre-order? Nah. I need a test drive. Buy technology 'sight unseen?' Well that is just stupid. What if it sucks? Full refunds are becoming a thing of the past, no need to risk a 15% restocking fee, right?

Lorenzo Swider: "How is this device better than a $300 Netbook?"

Mike Robin: "I've never been able to afford anything as posh as a Mac, but this may just be in my price range, and their users do appear to be a very jolly crowd."

Anastassios Retzios:

I cannot think of more useless device than a slate, any slate (iPad and the rest). A smartphone can do most of the things I need doing on the road and a convertible tablet/laptop is an excellent instrument for those who have use of finger/stylus input some of the time. In fact, a laptop is far more convenient because of the angle of the screen in watching a movie than any slate. For a ebook readers, LCD screens are simply inappropriate for long-term use. So, to be honest, I cannot see the utility of any slate and more of slates based on phone OSs.

MGNYC11; "I not only ordered one iPad, but I plan to order another one in a few months when the price drops or the 2.0 version comes out."

Kev Payne: Never buying Apple's tampon, and I will probably heckle anyone I see with one."

jweldy:

I did, I'm a Systems manager. I actually sold two iMacs that I wasn't using to buy it 'guilt free'!

I had originally talked myself out of ordering one, but had a sit down with 3 friends about the pros/cons of the product. I was extremely disappointed by the specs when they first came out, but I read a article someplace (maybe here) that commented on the fact that iPad wasn't for people like me.

It was built for people like my mother or niece, people who would never have a traditional computer, but wants to have ease of email, the occasional you tube video, checking the weather, etc...

But the iPad or any of the other slates coming out this year are an excellent bridge for those of us that do not want for some reason a traditional PC or Mac -- like my 82 year old mother who won't use a computer. Just my 2 cents!

PDub2: "I don't see much use for a giant iPod touch. I would definatly consider buying one if it was running the Mac OS, or if I could find any possible use for a giant iPod, but there is not use for a giant iPod, and its not running a real OS so its not worth it."

KiltedTim: "I did order one for pickup at my local Apple store...I immediately saw the iPad as what I'd always hoped the PDA would evolve into. It has roughly the same footprint as the Day-Timer I carry now, and is actually about a half pound lighter than the paper planner...I've also been a fan of e-books for years...After hours or at lunch, I've got a library of entertainment at my fingertips. All this and at $499, I'm not paying significantly more than I did for the Palm TX."

Donald Norman:

If all I had was an underpowered laptop, and was looking for a new device to enhance my life experience - would I turn to the iPad?

• Its too big to be a 'take it everywhere' gaming / productivity device -- go iPhone
• Its size and lack of phone capabilities make it a handicapped communication device -- go iPhone
• Its expense and lack of e-ink make it a poor e-book reader - go Kindle or something -- I prefer paper anyway
• Its size and keyboard make it a frustration as an email / document device -- I mean, are there any journalists who are want to blog, let alone craft a published article, using the soft keyboard -- Go MacBook Pro
• It is not robust enough to handle true enterprise class applications or games -- go PC

Comments are open for everyone else who would like to join the "buy" or "not buy" debate.