Originally Posted by Lushness:
“Erm I wasn't saying that she shouldn't buy one as that would be slightly hypocritical, I was saying that no one needs it. I don't need it (it is considered a luxury device after all) but I chose to buy it and I don't regret my decision at all.”
And I was just pointing out, slightly facetiously, that if you go down that route then you find out that pretty much all technology is not "needed". Yet one person's luxury item is another person's essential tool.
To the OP - our iPad 1 is probably one of the most-used computers in our house. And if you have a 12 year old then it will definitely get used (but, unless you have bottomless pockets, it is very important to keep your iTunes password to yourself). In any case, iPads hold their value fairly well so if it does turn out to be a big mistake, then it need not be too painful. But I'm sure it won't be.
Ours hangs around our coffee table and mostly gets used for: surfing, emails, calendar, videos for our toddler, games for Daddy (Plants vs Zombies is an essential purchase), and acting as a remote control for our Windows Media Center music. If we go down the Apple TV route it will get used for that too...