Let's not get too passionate... clearly Steve Job's does work, that's just stating the obvious, now that doesn't mean the product out-stands other products.
iPad will let you do what Steve wanted you to do with it, if you try to do something he didn't want you to do it will be very hard.
Mac addict will tell you how much they love their iPads but I think you have to be an Apple-Aware person to use it, people who have never touched a mac often struggle with the iPad - my dad is one of them (well in did touch macs but that was before LabVIEW was released for Windows).
Surely other products could fit your needs, it's more how much of a mac person you are that matters when chosing between iPad and others.
note : I am a mac person but I don't have an iPad, I've used a few at friends' and I know no one who got another tablet.