Apple is great BECAUSE everything is proprietary. Maintaining strict control over the UI, hardware and all aspects of how a product is marketed and supported is exactly why Apple has excelled where so many others have not. Steve Jobs understands that to release a great product is not nearly enough. The iPad will succeed because it's a fully-realized product with game-changing access to content for which anyone can enter an Apple Store to demo, purchase and acquire support for. There simply is no other "infrastructure" in the industry that can pull this off. Amazon's Kindle is a great product, but lacks a comprehensive marketing (Store) platform and is far too specialized. Apple honestly won't have to shoot too far from an "large iPod or iPhone" to succeed here - as content is king and they're equipped to deliver it through iTunes (or a derivative). Even if you're not a fan of its products or culture, Apple has raised both the PC and consumer electronics buyer's standards - which is a great thing for the industry and all of us. I don't have to predict, it's already a success.