Disclaimer: I own and use Apple products, but the recent shift toward consumer devices, instead of personal computers is changing Apple's business model. The new Apple consumer devices are enablers to change consumer habits.
The Apple product line's new introduction of the iPad, fits nicely between the MacBook and the iPhone. Apple's own "Shipping soon" graphic shows the manila envelope which the MacBook Air made infamous. The iPad effectively puts the MacBook Air on notice, that the iPad intends to move into that manila envelope, and kick the MacBook Air to the curb.
The price point, feature set, and data plan options are an Amazon Kindle Killer. The iPad is a much better device, lots of additional features, and is quite possibly the best commuter or college student's media consumption device.
The iPad's introduction of a multitouch screen in a larger screen, tells me the MacBook, MacBook Pro, & Cinema Display lines will not get a multitouch screen anytime in the near future. This would potentially eat away at iPad sales.
Apple touts 140,000 AppStore applications. MacOS X Laptop/Desktop developers have been placed on notice. This banner effectively says "Apple will direct all future sales through the AppStore, since we get a cut of every sale." The past premium for publishing software on the shelf will be back in Apple's control. The deteriorating price of "Apps" to the 0.99 price point on the iPhone/iPod Touch and the middle tier iPad pricing around 9.99 is an ominous sign for Mac OS X developers. Which platform does a Mac developer release on first, with what feature set, or price point? These are serious problems facing any Mac developer's ability to make a living.
The iPad SDK is available, but you cannot develop using the device itself, for that Apple requires an additional purchase of a Mac Laptop or Desktop, ensuring a closer binding to the laptop/desktop unit. Similarly, MacOS X developers, the savvy ones at least, will force a similar binding between the laptop/desktop tier and the consumer device tier.
The iPad, like the iPhone is not multi-user. This limits using this device in a shared home environment. The counterpoint being the device is "good 'nuf" and "cheap 'nuf" to buy more than one for a family environment. However, again, you need a laptop or desktop to sync your media/backup.
The lack of a camera means the iPad will not eat into the iPod Nano or iPhone 3GS sales. To be fair, a high quality IPS LCD needs a higher megapixel camera to do it justice, so many folks will opt to sync their digital cameras to the iPad via the Camera/SD Slot Adapter.
Yes, video streaming is becoming more a reality. Bandwidth is increasing, and the generation of "good 'nuf" is driving a lower quality, give it to me now mentality. The lack of Blu-Ray in Apple's Desktops and Laptops, now that Blu-Rays have broken a critical $20.00 barrier, is evidence of Apple's preference toward the Apple Store's online media services. Again, Apple gets a cut from every online Apple Store sale, and a significantly larger cut for videos/rentals, rather than offering Blu-Ray.
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