In any case, despite my initial “meh” reaction to the tablet, I do find my self looking forward to the 27th with some enthusiasm.

I guess what I am trying to say is that it has to be absolutely ridiculously outstanding in terms of hardware to give it some critical mass and make it into mainstream.

I think you make very good points about a Haptic and to a lesser extent the e-ink display. But I don’t necessarily think the absence of these features will spell doom for the device.

There are a few reasons I feel like the hype might have some substance:

• Broadsheet media is dying a slow horrible death. There is a need for a technology platform that can deliver this type of media in a way that doesn’t suck.
• With a pressure sensitive stylus (and Given Steve Job’s dislike for this UI paradigm, I think I will be lucky to get it) the Apple tablet becomes a viable replacement for sketch paper, note books, post it notes etc…
• TV. The Apple TV might have flopped, but an Apple TV that I can watch in bed, that is a killer app for me ;).

Perhaps this is the hype getting to me.