When selling something via a process convenience is a key driver in increasing conversions, just as the desire for someone to want something tends to reside with the ability for that thing to add convenience in the user’s life.

The iPad, for some (early adapters, those with higher disposable income) is a device that can certainly bring a meaningful convenient value to the experience of their users. There’s bound to be more traveling with this group and that’s where the value of the iPad holds up. However, in the near future, I don’t think most people will find convenience in something that current devices can now do far better and will do better for a long time. Today, for passive entertainment a TV can do everything other than portability better. For instance, Netcast can sync to a home Wi-Fi network and provide Youtube, Pandora, Picassa,Netflix, etc… (likely soon to provide facebook as well), with a MUCH Larger Screen. In addition, you can add cheaper devices to the TV, like a BlueRay or XBOX and they can bring even more online social experiences to the mix. Now on the portability side, (work and travel) both a laptop or desktop can provide online gaming, social media experiences and email better (flash, use any site as it was meant to be, has a keyboard for easier typing, etc…).

And while you’re probably right, it’s early in the game for magazines, which I’ve been a part of, as well as ecommerce and other digital/social media (which I am currently a part) – the iPad’s ultimate convenience is likely going to rest on the features it brings do to its portability. Now with AT&T changing their unlimited billing to pay for more bandwidth used than 2 downloaded features, with other carriers likely to follow – I think the iPad’s success is going to be much more limited with developers willing to innovate and users trying to use them when needing to find wi-fi (limits portable convenience).

Recent studies tend to show signs of agreement:
http://mashable.com/2010/06/03/retrevo-tablet-study/

Now with that said – If the price halves – then perhaps the cost/benefit ratio for non highly disposable income users will change this scenario, but until then – I think the Ipad will have a long curve for growing much larger than it is. Probably also why any new iPad stats were ignored yesterday.