An iPad is a tablet computer. It's just one made by Apple which runs Apple's iOS operating system. Most other tablets out there run Google's Android operating system and seem to run a number of versions (Android 4.0 - called ice cream sandwich) being the latest.
I have an iPad 2 - got it over a year ago. I like it, it does the things I want in a tablet and it syncs easily with my MacBook Pro. But you don't neet a Mac or a Windows PC to use an iPad (and I think you probably don't need one to run an Android tablet either).
My only real issue with Android tablets is that they don't all run the latest OS version which I find strange, and looking at some of them in shops they don't all look to have great build quality. But they do have things that iPads don't have, such as USB or SD sockets etc. So it really depends on what you want to do and if you mind not necessarily running the latest OS version. (To some people it's an issue, to some it's not).
I think that the Apple iOS platform has significantly more apps for iPads than say Google's store has for Android, but to be honest I see that as a marketing gimmick. Both platforms will most likely have the apps you want, though some may be more "polished" than others.
Essentially it comes down to these questions:
- What do you want to do with your tablet device?
- How much do you want to pay?
- Do you prefer iOS or Android?
Whatever you choose, it's what you want to do. It's nothing to do with looking cool out in Starbucks or whatever. Just go with the device you like best.