“This is a small, portable device. Very few people will use it with external video. You want to lug around a screen with you? No. Not too many do it with the iPhone, not too many will do it with this. If you’re planning it as a desktop replacement that would need a screen, you are missing the concept.”
Are you telling me that an HDMI port to connect your HDTV is not a useful feature? Wouldn’t it be nice to plug the iPad into the TV and watch that expensive hidef content?
Rarely, if ever. If I want to be tethered to a monitor I'll just watch that content on my computer, or stream it to a TV. For those few who for some reason want to tie their iPad down to a monitor, I believe there's an adapter.
Remember, this thing's so thin (with curved edges) that even Apple's mini DisplayPort adapter would have a problem fitting seamlessly in the side, and then you'd need an adapter to HDMI anyway. There's no way an HDMI plug is fitting in this well. And forget a socket for USB keys, that's not fitting.
Minimalism vs. throwing the whole tool chest in. The popularity of Apple devices is showing that users are getting tired of the tool chest, of the "checklist" mentality that the article talks about.