[iharris]

On a related note, I think that Microsoft and OEMs would have a hard time overcoming consumers' perception of the iPad as 'sexy' or 'luxurious'. Apple's had the head-start to build this sort of brand recognition for the iPad and IMHO, I fear that any attempts by OEMs to budge it will appear 'cheap' (quality-wise) or imitative.

Take the laptop market for example. Some attempts have been made at a sleek design that rivals the Macbook (HP Envy, Dell Adamo etc) but those products haven't really taken off.

As for the software and OS? I really like the Metro interface - I guess we'll have to wait and see how it turns out with regard to the app library and user experience.