[dionysiac]

"I need a Mac to program the iPad? Why?"

You need a computer to transfer data to it, so why not to program it? Yes, the toolchain is not available for windows, but that's at least understandable. The iPad is not currently marketed as a stand-alone device.

[invisible]

From what I can tell, you MUST connect it to iTunes before it even allows you pass the "Connect me to iTunes on your computer" screen. I thought it was unneeded and should have had a "remind me later" at the very least (I didn't buy one, just set one up). Regardless, almost anyone that wants an iPad will have a computer - and the benefit of having a "import everything" option is huge.