I think that the factor which really stops me buying into any of the iThings is that if you want software for it, you can
only get it from the monopoly that is Apple.
If I buy a piece of hardware - particularly a computer - I strongly resent the manufacturers telling me what I can and can't do with it.
Sure; it's okay to sell someone a computer and say "if you install unapproved apps, you'll invalidate the warranty". It's also fine to try and regulate the way in which people use a device if they've bought it through some sort of subsidy (e.g. a subsidized mobile phone being locked to a network).
But bugger me, if I've paid full whack for a bit of kit, I'll be jiggered if I'm going to let anyone tell me what I can and can't do with it. Look at
what's just happened with the way in which Canadian Android users have just been shafted by their carrier. If they don't run a firmware update to fix a bug that would allow them to gain root access and jailbreak their phone, then they effectively get cut off.