I'd say give it a try, it's not their first try, this is more along the lines of the 3rd or 4th, or more if you count PPCs.

There is XP Tablet, multiple versions of CE (think the touchscreens you see in restaurants, lots of those are Windows), PPCs, Windows mobile, etc.

While it's still not perfect because of trying to be too many things to too many people it's better than you'd expect. I find the keyboard, while slightly awkward because apps don't mold around it, to be way better than the iPad one, esp. for symbols and such, as it just works how I'd expect vs. a mobile device. It's also resizeable, so that's a non-issue.

Gestures, most work how you'd expect and have been there since Vista or before. Control panels, etc. all have foward and back like the browser, executed with swipes. Pinch to zoom works where expected, a right click can be done by either a press and hold or a press with one finger tap with the other, etc. Moving a browser up and down works like you'd expect, and even bounces the full screen browser a little at the end just like an iPad.

And don't get me wrong, I'm not on the side that it's better than the iPad, I didn't think I'd like iPads at first, but I gave them a shot and they have a ton of bonuses, but this does as well, they are just different.

When travelling around and doing this and that, my boss' iPad is quicker, easier, simpler, and faster for most things. When in the office, I have all sorts of network shortcuts, saved permissions by being on the domain, all the printers set up how I want, access to various tools, etc.

With an iPad at the office I'd spend all my time in an RDP app which then loses me all the iPad features anyhow, so why bother?

Also, a few people have logins on this thing, and with redirected folders, etc., any one of them can grab it, log in, walk in the conference room, grab something out of their docs and give a presentation with little hassle.

The Andoid pad on the other hand I can't quite see the point of, yet anyway.

The iPad has a lock on great form factor, tons of apps, tons of dev support, and the Win7 tablets have all the options of Windows.

I'm just not sure what an Android tablet will necessarily do better than either of those, we'll see. If nothing else, it's good competition, which helps everyone.

Notice that the development process is much faster right now on mobile devices than it has been in other IT sectors for quite some time, the others don't have as many good fights to really drive it. Apple stepping up to their old ways has prompted this in a huge way. They also time their innovation correctly, the hardware is just now capable of doing a really good tablet at a good price point, the stuff in the XP tablet days struggled.

Have fun with your new gadget, red..... thats what it's all about

It should be here in about 3 weeks.

Freakin' HP!

This thing is so back ordered it isn't funny. I called customer service and *****ed up a storm and they shipped it today...

...Directly from China...

I should have it next week...

If you believe Engadget (link), the Slate is so back-ordered because "HP reportedly only ever planned a limited production run of 5,000 units, and received orders for 9,000 instead."

Let us know how you like it...