[ifonline]

Was it ever really that strong? Microsoft has tried for years to make something out of Tablet PCs, but it never really seemed to catch on outside of specialized markets. However, I think it might be a bit dismissive to consider the iPad a Tablet PC.

As others have noted around the web, it is a giant iPod Touch/iPhone more than anything. I consider a Tablet PC a full OS laptop minus the keyboard, something the iPad isn't (I don't think). It doesn't run OS X and can't run OS X applications. It can run iPhone applications, however, and is entirely based on the iPhone OS. It's a media-centric tablet, but not a Tablet PC (note the clever use of capitalization).

Of course, now that I've said all that, I'm not sure if you were asking in regards to the iPad or the HP Slate. In the case of the HP Slate, it is a traditional Tablet PC that is aiming for more media-centric use, but it is still a Tablet PC at its core. Not sure how that will work out, as the complaints I have followed regarding Tablet PCs is that because they use a full laptop OS, they are difficult to navigate unless using a stylus.