#[member='Lord Nemesis'], tell me what do you plan to do with a tablet? If your only motive is extreme customization (custom roms, widgets etc.) then any cheap android tablet will do.
Custom ROMs - No, Customized UI with Widgets - Yes. Any cheap tablet will not do. I want some level of hardware flexibility/connectivity from the device. My idea of a tablet is that is a computing device even if its not very powerful and not just a media consumption device. There are some things that I expect it to support both in terms of hardware and software.
This is why I don't care for Apple or Samsung tablets simply for their hardware inflexibility.
Personally, I have been tinkering with PCs all my life but for a tablet, I just want things working well out-of-box. The ipads functionality is increased manifolds once jailbroken and I am anxiously waiting for one to come for the new one.
If I can't get around running shitty software like iTunes for managing content on the device, and I need another computer just to get content into and off the device, then for me its far from a personal computing device that works out of the box.
AFAIK as Flash is concerned, I tested it extensively on the Prime and though it works, it is far from perfect. Also, many sites are now adapting HTML5 which is fully supported by iOS.
As long as websites using flash are in existence, I won't be buying any tablet that doesn't support it. If tablets don't support it, then I won't be buying a tablet at all. I would rather buy a net book, than buy a tablet that costs twice as much and still can't handle a technology that is in widespread use.
Also, there is no such thing as full HTML5 support since HTML5 itself is work in progress. While the basic HTML5 features work, last I checked, iPads are very lousy at handling HTML5 interactive content. Most of the stuff doesn't work at all or plays real bad. Android is also at the same state with HTML5.
The other problem with android tablets is the acute lack of tablet specific apps. Trust me, apps for phones do no justice on tablets (you would've known if you saw the keynote). I am not sure what you mean by "restrictive nature" as I mentioned before, jailbreak apps add a lot more to iOS.
Not having a shit load of apps is not going to be a problem are along as I have apps that I do need. As for restrictive nature, I mean stuff like being able to hook up the device to any computer (Windows/Mac/Linux based) and have quick access to the device as a mass storage or being able to copy stuff to and fro without need for another computer at all.
True, sd card support and HDMI support are sorely missed. Also,android has fantastic google apps which shine less on iOS. But overall, after using both devices for a couple of weeks, I can safely say that the ipad provides more bang for the buck simply because it is a true tablet and not an afterthought like many android tablets are.
To me, iPad is no where close to being a true tablet. If this is what a tablet is, then I have absolutely no use for a device called tablet. This is exactly the reason why I haven't bought a tablet till now and the only reason I am even considering a tablet is because there are at least a few tablet developers who share some of my ideas of what a tablet should be.
But really, to each his own. I'd suggest you spend a few weeks with the tablet before reaching a decision.
I have already tried an iPad2 for some time at work and while I would be working closely on multiple tablet platforms in future (as a developer), for personal use at least, I have already concluded that its absolutely useless for me. Transformer Prime many be far from perfect and in the end may not live up to my expectations despite looking good on paper, but iPad on the other hand doesn't come close to my expectations even on paper.