And that's thanks to Steve Jobs and his team at Apple. Before the iPad, nobody knew they wanted a tablet. After the iPad, nobody wanted a tablet other than the iPad. There's something about its simplicity and its single, iPhone and iPod-like button that is appealing; something about its intuitive controls and slick surface that calls to us; and something, too, about the comfort that comes from buying into a gadget that many others have invested in. Wouldn't you prefer to read that magazine on me, it asks. Yes. Yes, I would.

When the iPad debuted, several of Apple's competitors moved quickly to release tablets of their own. But the numbers suggest that nobody wants those. Motorola's tablet sales are falling even though the company has cut costs. HP has put an end to its webOS platform , pulling the plug on several divisions as it works to spin off its PC business. And a German court has banned the sale and importation of Samsung's Galaxy 10.1 tablet throughout the European Union, arguing that it is based illegally on the design of the iPad.