Before the official announcement today, no one really understood where a tablet would fit in. Apple made that distinction fairly clear. Jobs, in his keynote, said the iPad will fit in somewhere between an iPhone and a notebook. He said, “…in order to create that category [tablet], they have to be far better at doing some key tasks…better than the laptop, better than the smartphone.” [Engadget]

This is where the iPad comes in. For browsing the Web, email, sharing photos, watching videos, playing music and games and reading ebooks, the iPad will effectively replace the notebook with a much more intuitive interface to deliver a fantastic experience. Clearly, the iPad is not as mobile as a smartphone. That’s where your iPhone will come in handy. And for heavy work-related tasks with specific applications, again, the iPad is no match.

Either way, the message from Apple is clear, for majority of mainstream users, the tablet will replace your notebook, and maybe even your need to get a smartphone.