Road use
Email
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Durability and good construction are important
Minimal storage for the road

I don't subscribe to the Apple religion, but I am familiar with some of their products. Based on what I have seen, since you are an iPerson, I would suggest sticking with the iDevices.
I liked the Macbook Air I played with. I found the one I played with to be very durable.

I would suggest that you backup your important data on SD cards.
I would also suggest getting an iWarranty.

I love the display on the new iPad, but like all tablets the issue is the lack of keyboard.