How many of your average computers users really care about that? If I can access a shell and write some code on this thing, I'm sold. The battery life alone is worth it.

Edit: Sadly reading this thread is like reading Slashdot about the announcement of the iPod.

>| How many of your average computers users really care about that?

I'm sorry, but this is a terrible argument. None of my users care about having root on our file server either, but if I didn't have it, it wouldn't be useful as anything more than a very expensive paperweight. Most readers probably don't care if the authors have access to a typewriter, but they depend on that to be able to read books.

Similarly, most iPad users won't care about having root on the thing, but they shouldn't. They people that do care about this are the developers, and the work of the developers becomes the tool of the masses. The complaint about this thing not being open is that apple is restricting what sorts of tools can be made. While the end-user might not care about the specific mechanism of restriction, they do feel its effects.

It doesn't have a multi-application UI, doesn't have USB ports, and can only install programs from the App Store.

It's not a small PC, it's a big PDA. I'd be surprised if you could have a shell or write code on it.

And do what with it? Install a slew of apps that you can run on any other computer, just on a tiny screen and tiny keyboard?

One wants the computer to go away.