So the iPad is starting to get orders and the numbers are large - OK, there's been a recession, people are bound to start wanting the new toys to cheer them up a little. I can relate to that.

That's not the real story, though, if we assume 'story' means something unexpected in some way. The real story is rather different - it's not even that we're not getting it in the UK until a little later, that was entirely predictable and even fair.

No, the real story is what's not coming to the UK. At this stage you might want to look at what's not on the iPad page in the UK .

That's right. No iBooks.

Now I'm not stupid. I have no doubt Apple will try to resolve this. But just at the moment the contracts don't appear to be in place. So whereas America is wondering at this lovely new box that's less than a month away, here we're waiting a little longer - and wondering first why we're having a crippled machine pushed at us, and second if you can't use it instead of an eReader, where will the sales come from..?