And that's just the beginning of the problems. Alas, LCD displays introduce their own issues. First, they are expensive, thanks in part to a shortage of LCD production capacity. Sometimes they compromise resolution as well. The result is a product that makes walking back to the den to use the home PC seem more attractive.
Price points present another big problem.
This is a good strategy for the new Web user, but for the Web enthusiast market, where the early customers are most likely to be found, having a second ISP forced on them will generate a lot of resistance. With no pervasive standard for home networking, it is hard to build an appliance that can use broadband connections. I'm afraid it is, at least for the near term. I don't have high hopes for any Web appliances introduced so far, and I don't expect to see any successful Web tablets this year. Most Web appliances will first have to be established as additional access devices for existing Web users, which means they must deliver a high-quality experience and not compromise compatibility.