[jacktoole1]

It might still be worth a try. Specs and capabilities are easy to judge something by when you're looking to buy it (since they're all that you can really see without owning the device), but they sometimes matter less than the holistic experience once you actually own it. Basically: optimise for the common case. If 90% of the time you'll want to use your tablet as a tablet, not an SD card reader or portable drive, then it makes sense to pay more attention to the tablet experience than whether it can function as an SD reader or drive.

I'd recommend seeing if you can check out an iPad and whatever alternative you're looking into at a local store, and spend some time using them how you anticipate you would on a day to day basis. While I hear there are some good android tablets, some are laggy (Kindle Fire, I'm looking at you), which gets incredibly frustrating over time. There are also other potential limitations, such as the app store (not to say Android isn't doing well there, but a lot of mobile apps still seem to start with iOS first, although this could change).

Disclaimer: I own an iPad, and I like it. I also have friends with both Android tablets and iPads who love their choice. If you feel that the features lacked by the iPad are important, then go for it and get something else. Good luck in your search!

(Side note: I totally agree about iTunes, especially on Windows.)