<i>ding</i><p>Even for the non-technophiles, there's a tremendous amount of value in such a device.<p>Last year my parents were moving out of their home into a smaller, elderly apartment.  They found an old HP iPaq I apparently left behind in a box years ago.  They called me asking if it would allow them to browse the web sort of like an iPhone, but from the couch.  My response was "sort of, but not really".  Their response was quite dejected.  They really hoping it would've allowed them to browse on the couch.<p>We've been down the netbook idea road before, and the laptop road, but the solution ended up being an iMac.  My father (in his 60s) has terrible eyesight, so a large display was great.  Time Machine was also the "killer app" for them -- they hated making backups before, but my father begrudgingly made some every few months (I used to do it for them during holiday visits).<p>iPad though?  Exactly what they want.  Especially my Mom who is a bona-fide technophobe.  She's still "afraid" of computers, fearing she'll "mess it up".  The iPad is perfect for 95% of what she does.  The only thing she still has to use the iMac for is a few games (which could be re-bought for the iPad or her Nintendo DS), and for scanning in the family photo albums.  Instant on.  On the couch.  No keyboard.  Nothing to "mess up".  Access to all the computer's media (<i>especially</i> if there's AppleTV like streaming from their iTunes library).<p>As articles have mentioned, this is the perfect computer for the family technophobe.  Or for replacing that old laptop you had around that you were considering replacing with a netbook for casual-couch-computing -- so they can futz around on Facebook or do a quick email or look up a quick thing while they watch TV or have a spare moment.