If the screen is sharp enough, the iPad might finally be the ultimate mobile solution for field photographers and photojournalists, allowing us to use our full-sized pro cameras and import those images, run a quick edit, and file a lower-res image via 3G or WiFi. Professional card backup drives (with small screens) are in the same price range, and they are much heavier, bulkier and have no network connectivity. While reporting and photographing the Haiti crisis, I had a BGAN (a satellite broadband system) with me, but with all the traffic and RF in the sky it was difficult and awkward to set up. Cellular towers, which were almost uniformly installed on earthquake-resistant buildings, were up and running extremely quickly after the quake. My iPhone worked in Haiti, and I found it to be more a far more efficient pipe through which to file low-res, web-quality images than setting up the sat dish. The only problem is I needed to pull my Macbook Pro out in one of the dustiest environments I've ever worked. It was a kludge for sure, but it did the job. The iPad promises camera connectivity and that alone puts it at the top of my shopping list.

For all of you who are yelling that social network sites unnecessarily require a choice to make things public, check out the Mo Rocca interview video linked to from the main article page. Insightful, to say the least. Hilarious, to say the not least.