I agree with the notion of not having brand loyalty in the tablet space, if it means some sort of emotional connection that makes you make unwarranted purchases or stands in for some emotional lack in a person. However, I do see why Apple has the following it does after getting an iPad. It's not simply a top price offering, it's easily the best offering. There are things I like about my Android gadgets, but for lack of a quicker explanation, they get in the way of me liking them more. There's a difference in craft that may not be, but seems to be, wholly apart from price tag.
That's the point: There are people who buy partly to send some kind of status message. For me, functionality is key. I buy electronics as I would a power tool; I buy for function and quality. It doesn't matter what people think of the status of my power saw, either, as long as it works well.