I'm looking forward to the release of the so-called ipad mini. 

I've held off getting an Ipad because the 10" somehow manages to be both not big enough and too big at the same time.   It's a WAY COOL toy, but it's just a little awkward.

The price point is a factor.  Above $300, I'm wanting something that can consolidate two gadgets or at least replace one. The ipad can't replace a desktop or even a laptop computer.  It's just not big enough to sit on a desktop to do heavy word processing and such.  And it's not a phone.  Any way you slice it, you're adding one more thing to carry around that doesn't make life simpler.  If I'm going to add a trinket to my life, It has to cost what a trinket costs...and that's more in the neighborhood of $200 than $300.

It's also just a little too big to hold in my lap or lay in bed and watch neflix...kinda awkward.  It's a little too big for a personal, intimate device. If you have one, everyone's gonna see what you're looking at.  That makes it a de-facto community/shared device.  I've also found that playing games isn't any better on it, and sometimes worse.  Can't play with thumbs, really.  Can't thumb text, and FORGET trying to QWERTY type.  It's strictly a "hunt and peck" proposition.

BUT it's too small for everyone to look at at the same time. It's too small to share without having to pass back and forth.  It would need to be at least 12-14" for two people to actually use it at the same time.  Ideally the size of a Monopoly board...so a family could play board games on it, people could work on it collaboratively, etc. 

Having used my mom's kindle fire and my brother's nexus 7, there's really not much difference between huddling together to see one of those and huddling over an ipad...you're still shoulder-to-shoulder and the farthest away it'll be is arms' length. Which is plenty close enough to see a 7" screen clearly.

Don't get me wrong.  The minute the ipad first came out, like all Apple toys I wanted one.  That's what Apple does best.  They make stuff that makes you go: "oooh, I want one."  The ipad was no different for me.  I'm glad I held off, though.  My wife got an ipad finally, and I've been able to see it put to use in our home, with the kids, and I've used it some.  The thing is, I really haven't used it much; and that's the most telling part for me.  It's not going to be an essential upgrade to my life the way my iphone was/is.  It's mostly just a jimcrack, a gewgaw...and I can't see paying more than about $200-$250 for one.