Like many of my fellow geeks, I broke down and ordered an iPad. I ended up going with the wifi version and not just because I can get it faster. Primarily, it comes down to when I use 3G data.

I have wifi at work and wifi at home. Most hotels I visit have wifi. Most conferences I attend have it, even if it’s oftentimes slow. The only time I regularly use 3G is in a car and when I’m about town. I’m pretty confident I won’t be pulling out my iPad on the street corner while I’m looking for a nearby dry cleaners. I might miss having it in the car (big maps and GPS is tempting), but I came to a seemingly obvious conclusion: I have an iPhone.

My guess is that 70-80% of the first round of iPad buyers also have an iPhone and 90+% have a 3G-capable smartphone. In many cases, the iPhone is capable of what we need and is oftentimes better suited. The smaller form factor is more discreet and makes it much easier to fit in your pocket. People don’t pull out their laptops at dinner when they’re looking for a delicious ice cream spot, but they definitely pull out their Blackberry or iPhone.