Today Apple released its tablet computer, the iPad. While I admittedly have no first-hand experience with the device, I can say that it looks good based on what I have read and seen online. Good enough that I might buy one. That it's much cheaper than I had anticipated also gave my buying calculus a nudge in the "right direction." But beyond the fact that I have succumbed yet again to the Apple reality distortion field, the iPad may well signal the death of the general purpose desktop or notebook computer.

I say this because the general purpose computer -- an iMac, MacBook Pro, Sony Vaio, etc. -- has frustrated and continues to frustrate average people. Even Mac OS X, which I regard as the least complicated desktop operating system, is just too complicated for people without a very high degree of computer literacy. On top of that, because the computers are complicated and will execute just about any code they encounter, they pose a huge security risk. Many people fail to install security and bug patches not because they're risk-seeking, but rather because it's just too complicated. Consequently, many millions of unsuspecting ordinary people unwittingly aid hackers in running denial of service attacks and sending obnoxious spam email.

Compare this experience with that of the iPhone. A three-year-old can figure out how to use an iPhone. Sure, the user interface is well-designed and the touch screen makes certain operations easier. But that's not really why the iPhone is so easy for the average person to use and understand. Rather, unlike a general purpose computer, the iPhone hides the technical details that frustrate people so much. Take installing applications as an example. On the iPhone, one tap in the App Store automatically downloads and installs the new software. There are no DVDs or CDs to keep track of, no installation prompts. It just works. Apple even allows users to re-download applications, just in case they're accidentally deleted.

Or consider that the iPhone does not expose the file system to users. People never forget where they stuck that photo, that music file or that document. Notes are in the Notes application, music and video are in the iPod application, and photos are in the Photos application. It couldn't be easier.

Additionally, because Apple screens and sandboxes applications, users don't have to worry nearly as much about security. Nor does their lack of computer savviness put themselves or others at risk. The iPhone and iPad don't execute anything and everything they encounter. It's just not possible, for instance, for a user to unwittingly install a piece of trojan horse software by accidentally opening an attachment.

Without a doubt, this blend of simplicity, accessibility and security comes at a price. People who demand more than basic computing functions will need more flexibility than the iPad or iPhone provide today. It's hard to imagine, for instance, scientists at CERN analyzing the results of a particle physics experiment on an iPad. But for everyone else, I suspect devices like the iPad will eventually supplant their regular computers. There's just no reason for people who just want basics, like web browsing, email and music playback, to subject themselves to the complexity of a whole general purpose computer.