I agree with this, and would like to expand on it a bit. For me personally, I do not mind that the iPad is "simple" or even single tasking. The problem is that the software that is run on it is controlled. Worse, it is controlled by a company who has already demonstrated that they are happy to deny applications based on money interests or the opinions of their primarily US market.

Last year they decided joke political apps were "not worth offending their user base" for and banned them. This year they ban all applications related to sexuality for the same reason. Web browsers and email clients are banned for money interests. It goes without saying that apps like itunes are banned.

What is next? Apps related to evolution and science? Any 3rd party apps related to music? Who knows. Maybe nothing, maybe all those things.

This sets a FAR more dangerous precedent than Microsoft's monopoly on the OS market. And as this article correctly points out, very few people outside of IT will care. For them it will be "why isn't there app X, guess IT people are just boring/uncreative/didn't think of it, oh well."

This level of control is enough for me to buy an alternative product, even if it may not be quite as good.