Future iPad

I never liked the clamshell notebook computer design. It's great for carrying from desk to desk, but worthless in the field (try holding and typing) and uncomfortable on an airplane. I don't even like dragging one out at an airport. My iPad replaced my notebook computer. If I need to work away from the office, I use remote desktop software on the iPad to work on Windows programming. My biggest complaint is the screen resolution. It's adequate, but crisper text would be better. Front-facing camera is another component many wanted, even if iPad pre-dated FaceTime by a few months.

The iPad needs some upgrades to make it a better business computer

More memory. The current iPad is a little shy.
Higher resolution screen. Crisper text improves reading enjoyment and graphic quality.
SD card slot. Thin. The USB adapter covers other connections.
Front-facing video camera. A back-side low-res camera might also be nice as a cheap bar code scanner or quick snap for documentation. Too cumbersome for photography.

Faster processing will also come with higher resolutions. It will be interesting to see if the next iPad update will include higher resolution. Increasing the resolution to 2048×1536 may happen, but it's a tall order. That's more pixels than the average desktop display. John Grubar of Daring Fireball makes some good arguments against a hi-res screen in the near future in "Cold Water on iPad2 Retina Display Hype"

Even if we need to wait another year, a hi-res screen would satisfy me at least until flexible displays for easy folding. By then, the clamshell computer will be a funny museum piece.