It is safe to say that there was no way that Steve Jobs could live up to the hype that had built up to the launch of Apple's tablet device. So it is no surprise that the reception has been critical: sofa computer, ladycomputer, netbook without a keyboard, etc have been some of the kinder descriptions. Others ask if there really is a need for a device that fits between a laptop and a smart phone? To echo the thoughts of Stephen Fry (or at least my take on his thoughts), the iPhone received a similar reaction when it was first launched.

At that time I remember thinking to myself – why would I ever want/need to check my mail from my phone? Or surf the web? I owned a crappy handset that had a tiny screen and a crap browser. It was a pain in the ass! And now Apple launches this incredibly sexy looking phone with just one button. Yet I still could not imagine using the iPhone to check my mail, surf the web, etc.

Until I walked into a Carphone Warehouse store in London and touched it.

Within five minutes I understood why I had to have one. It suddenly made sense. Words such as intuitive, sleek, awesome, powerful, beautiful, useful were just some I used afterwards when describing the experience to friends, telling them (and myself) why the iPhone makes sense. Not long after, I bought my first iPhone. Today (and much to the annoyance of my girlfriend) it is with me all the time. Email, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, news, maps, music, apps… all accessible on the go. It has changed completely not only how I consume media and experience the world around me.

I have a feeling that it will be the same when I touch the iPad for the first time. And I am excited to see how it will change my personal habits.

What are your thoughts on the iPad?

Check out the iPad Keynote and Video on Apple's official site.