I just finished attending a conference in Chicago. And instead of taking my laptop, I took my iPad. A couple of quick observations about traveling with the iPad.

It’s nice and easy going through security. You don’t have to take your iPad out of the bag when you go through security. While others are reassembling their gear, you are on the way to the gate.
In general, using an iPad on the plane is a joy. Easy to adjust angles, plenty of room. You don’t have to worry about the angle of the seat in front of you. Only problem that I found… It’s really tough to type in turbulence. Your fingers slide all over the touchscreen…
Battery life is amazing. Never even came close to using even half the battery, despite watching video, listening to music and playing games. Everywhere I looked at O’Hare, people were huddled around power outlets. It was nice not to have to worry about that.
I wish I had gotten the 3G version. I have the wifi version which is fine for me most of the time, but hotel wifi is flaky. It worked fine in the room, but not in the conference areas. And I didn’t feel like paying for airport wifi. It would have been nice to have 3G. (Or at least the option to tether with my iPhone 4.)