You suffer deeply from "conformity ignorance", Cam. Conformity ignorance is extremely common on the internet, and is an easy trap to fall in to, so let me define it for you. Basically, it's when you form (and share) an opinion on a product based solely on popular (or, at least, popular among a vocal minority) views of that product without having any personal experience with said product. In fact, the less experience conformity ignoramuses have on a product, the more vocal their panning seems to be.
A conformity ignoramus takes comfort in the fact that s/he is not the only one with that opinion, trusting that someone must have formed it based on experience. This is a poor assumption, but even if it is true, why should anybody base their opinions on a product that is so subject to personal tastes?
Have you considered the possibility that the reason the iPad is so popular could have something to do with the huge amount of work and refinement that went into its design? I have a feeling if you were able to set your anti-Apple bias aside and try out an iPad for yourself, you'd actually find it quite wonferful.
I kinda take it personally that my taste in computing products gets chalked up to conformity, status, and/or image.
