I think the iPad is definitely an awesome piece of technology. It can do so many cool things. Although it would be fun to have and use, there is no real need to have one, especially if you already have a computer. From what I understand, it cannot replace your computer entirely, and it would just become one more thing to haul around. I feel that's its greatest purpose is simply for entertainment, and personally I do not have the funds to spend $500 for entertainment. I did expect it to cost more than this though. Overall, I would love to have an iPad, but it is really not a necessity. Future versions of it that may be able to replace your computer might be worth it however.