The comments here and elsewhere to my post about iPad alternatives have been mixed. No surprise. There will always be Apple defenders and open source defenders.

iPad 2, surely the most hyped device in the technology world today. Very shortly I have been thinking to upgrade to the most wanted gadget iPad 2. I have a good smartphone a handy laptop; I cannot convince myself on buying an iPad. Do I need it? If yes, then for what? For making “internet a wonderful experience” as they say.

Everyone is noting that Apple's iPad is a closed system; but there's a dangerous knock-on consequence of giving people the ultimate system for *consuming* content: they don't really understand computers. That's bad, because it means that politicians will find it even easier to bring in legislation like ACTA that will harm free software.

I know how we'll know whether the iPad is a success or not. That's right. Somebody will port a version of Ubuntu to run on the iPad. For now, let's call it the Ubuntu iPad Edition Remix. If the iPad touches anyone in the open source community, iPadBuntu is right around the corner. You know how else we'll know. Google will release plans for its own Linux-based pad. Let's call it the gPad.

When the $499 iPad tablet was announced last month, many journalists commented that the device was surprisingly affordable for an Apple product. This may not be the case however, as several sub $200 competitors running Google Android operating system have appeared.

At first glance, it will be difficult for Canonical and Ubuntu to compete with Apple's dominant iPad in the tablet market. But now that I've had some time to really think about the situation, I think the iPad will help to re-ignite Ubuntu's Mobile Internet Device (MID) effort against Microsoft Windows. Here's why.

I've been playing with the iPad for a while now, and I quite like it. But, I've also noticed that there's a lot of misconceptions about what the iPad is, and isn't.

Apple does not have the tablet all to itself, but how do the various Android devices actually stack up against the iPad?

"At least 5000 consumers have added their digital signatures to an anti-iPad campaign that's currently petitioning Apple CEO Steve Jobs to remove digital rights management, or DRM, from the device's content..."