I have a problem identifying what hole tablets have filled, or even what devices they've truly replaced. When the iPad was released, many outlets were making silly claims like laptops will be gone within 5-10 years.

The touchscreen smartphone has almost entirely replaced the landline and dumb/feature cell phones. The iPad has possibly replaced laptops for some, but otherwise it's replaced the... portable DVD player?

I don't see VR headsets replacing the phone or the laptop or the desktop as long as I have something to strap to my head. It's a matter of form factor, longevity, and convenience.

These kinds of statements are why it's going to succeed. Apple hasn't failed in the last 20 years, so that of course means this attempt won't fail either. You get enough devs hyped up because it's an infallible Apple product, they rush to build a bunch of apps for it to get their name out there, people buy it because it says Apple on it, it's claimed as the winner because it's got the most apps and has made the most money. Technical considerations are only secondary at best

IMHO they were right at the time of release, it took a while to develop the OS, ecosystem, etc