I can see where the iPad can be used as part of a total family solution. Say for instance that you have one iMac in the home which is controlled by the Home Geek, or parent.
With the main computer password protected, we’ll say by the Mom. She can have her online banking, the novel she is writing and her blogs and websites in there. But it is all safely partitioned away under her Administrator’s screen name.
From her main computer she can take care of charging and synching the ipods that the two kids have. She can control the content that the kids have on the iPods by synching them when they need to be charged. While doing that process she can see all the content the kids have put on their individual iPods and nuke any contraband. If the kids want an App, they will have to ask her for it, since she is the only one who knows the iTunes account password. If the kids have anything she doesn’t approve of on the iPods, she can take action and discipline them.
For her partner, the Dad or the other Mom, she can update and charge the iPad with what ever content or Apps that her less savvy other half desires. That way she can check for signs of cheating, as well as providing cute pics, stock reports, sports scores or info on home improvement projects. It’s a way for the ingenue member of the family to impress everyone, and also dispense geeky happiness to all.
Believe it or not it might even be slightly less expensive than getting a Mac or Mac book for every family member. As the kids get older they will need more expanded features and more writing power, so an iPad with the Pages App might be enough for doing homework and reports. While still keeping a handle on what the kids are watching and who they are communicating with. The iMac becomes a nexus of the home network. She can serve movies and videos to the iPads and even the PS3 in another part of the house wirelessly right from her desk, using an App such as Air Video. The iNetwork ( I just made that word up) offers a hands on parental control of all aspects of content for everyone in the household.
This is working for us, only problem is our kids have four legs and haven’t learned how to read yet. Although they can type on iPad, and they enjoy full screen photos of animals and sound effects of animal noises.