[cpuddle]

"...most mobile PC makers did not think to themselves "how on earth are we going to go up against this""

What I've been hoping ever since yesterday is that someone should release an "iPad" with a heavily customized open source OS on it. Add some Amazon integration (ala iTunes for books/music), customize the main apps to suite the form factor and a semi-open repository/app store for extra apps.

I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

[ZeroGravitas]

Several such machines were demo'ed (usually by chip-manufacturers) at CES earlier this month. The marketing blitz around the iPad makes it much more likely for someone to take these and build an actual end user product. Possibly your telecoms provider would want to sell you one with a contract and their branding.

There appears to be a distinct lack of touch based 'remixes' of Android or Ubuntu though.