I strongly disagree with some of the points of this article.
I feel that this article is as much calling out the whole UMPC market as it is the tablet variants.
There are all forms of UMPCs, clamshells, slates, convetables, sliders, and more. Depending on your needs and what suites you, you can choose the best design for you.
Tablets are the most difficult to use, but they really are not that bad. I browse the web a lot on my Archos 5, and the only thing that is holding it back is speed and full flash. There are quite a few of UMPCs out there with the same screen size that can deliver those. Remember, I'm talking a 4.8" screen not a 9" screen. You make it sound as though these tablets are unusable, that's just plain stupid. Just like a desktop owner using their first laptop, it is a different interface that you need to get used to.
Look here:
http://www.umpcportal.com/products/Viliv/S5
http://www.umpcportal.com/products/Viliv/X70%20EX
Oh and for the record there is a great reason why the Archos 9 failed, not because of market demand or being a tablet, but because you would be lucky to get more than 2 hours of life out of it, which is unacceptable for a portable device.
As for UMPCs, if you simply can't stand the touch screen interface, there are still options. A clam-shell device, usually =