I still have yet to see many tablets in the wild over the past 3 or so years. So here's a very specific off-topic question.

For people that live in Toronto (I'll include the GTA too), what kind of tablet do you have and where/when did you get it? Do you use it in public, and if so how do you use it? (ie watching youtube videos in a yuppie coffee shop, hacking WEP keys, etc.)

Where: I live in the GTA.
What: N800 with latest Diablo
When: Bought in July 2007 from TigerDirect.ca
How: My in-the-wild usage goes like this: I use mine at shopping malls to check mail, while waiting for appointments at Dentists/Doctors, at work to listen to MP3's, radio, etc. Typical usage. I pair it to my el-cheapo Rogers Pay-as-you-go cell phone for coverage when I am away from a wifi spot. Works like a charm. When I travel for work, or on vacation, I use Gizmo as my main contact number for family. I have a dial-in number for Gizmo, and my family can contact me on it while I am on hotel wifi. Incoming calls are free, and with my local 416 number, it is also free for my family. The NIT makes an excellent VoIP platform. A little panache in this area for the Maemo 5 devices will make these things even more awesome. For instance, being able to have the NIT ring aloud while a headset is paired would make it even more VoIP friendly.

I have never seen a NIT in the wild yet. Edit - OK, I have once. I ran into a friend on a flight into Toronto. I knew he had a N810, and he showed it to me while we had a drink at Pearson after we landed. The N810 was just released at that time, and I was curious what the keyboard was like. That friend got me into the whole NIT scene when he was raving about his 770. I guess that is the only NIT sighting I have had in the wild.

Seems like a good format to follow, though I have to expand a bit...
Where: GTA (West Mississauga/Milton/Oakville area)
What: Three N800s (see notes below)
When: Got my first one in Nov. 2007 from DirectCanada out in BC.
How/Explanation: My brother bought a 770 directly from Nokia USA when they first came out a few years ago and I'd sort of inherited it/started using it with the initial goal of running a web-based front end for a home automation system on it. That then digressed into an EBook reader (thanks FB Reader you rule!), which then started fitting in with my project of a wifi device/mp3 player/crazy thing for my Jeep. So the 770 became my web front-end for controlling MPD in the Jeep. Once prices dropped on the N800 I picked one up, figured out what an awesome VOIP device it is, and with OS2008 just being released times were golden! My Dad, who travels a lot, saw it and thought it was one of the most awesome things on the planet because it meant he could make phone calls, do video chats while on vacation, look up airline websites/etc without having to drag his laptop with him (which he'd been doing for just the airline websites thing...). He bought an N800 from tigerDirect in January once they received new stock and the reduced price. He then asked me if he could hook up one of those rubber roll-up keyboards (he'd found one in tiger direct while he was there) so he could use it On the Road... which lead me to ITT, which lead me to building those USB OTG adapters!

Of course that lead to me kind of messing up my own tablet with the first few USB adapters I built that were terrible things, but since I was selling them through work here my boss said "hey if we're gonna sell this stuff, let's buy you another tablet to make up for things", which then left us with an extra N800 around the office... that we then started using for doing wireless testing and installations (we're a network cabling company). Best Wifi tool out there hands down for testing, web interfaces, ssh'ing, etc.

For me biggest uses personally are now IM (my friends still can't get over the fact that I can chat on MSN while walking around and just get messages all the time by noticing the blinking LED...), VOIP calls (ahhh SIP how I love thee... esp. since my brother runs his own VOIP service ;o) ), emailing, web browsing, and most recently it makes a damn good alarm clock in the mornings! Also managing my linux boxes with ssh, controlling the playlists/music in the Jeep, etc. Oh, and of course, remote control for Mythbox and Home automation ;o)

As for others... Haven't seen any "in the wild", but then how often do you notice what kind of phone random other people are using?... but personally I know of : My bro's old 770, which he recently upgraded to an N810; my dad's N800, the N800 here at the office, my own N800, my buddy who works at Cogeco in Burlington's got an N800, two of his co-workers also have 'em, my boss' wife has a 770 for ebook reading, oh, and the other N800 I've got for a special project ;o)

(and if you ever notice a wifi AP pop up on your available connections that's labelled "Jeep" that counts as an "in the wild" spotting ;o) )

I'll take a slightly different approach...

I'm in Winnipeg, and had an N810 until recently (it was generously liberated from my jacket while in Stockholm in February). Before that I had a 770, while living in St. John's. That was certainly the only one in town (in the province, in fact) at the time. The biggest problem there was that there was no way to set Newfoundland time on it (UTC -3.5hrs, I think).

However, my mother liked my N810 so much that she got one, and she's in Mississauga. She uses it for email, chat, e-books, music, Skype, GPS/maps while traveling; all the basic things that non-programmers do. She did, anyway, until cataract surgery made it impossible - that high res screen is a blessing and a curse. She's almost ready to use it again. Oh, and it has COMPLETELY replaced her old iMac.

My father bought an iPod Touch instead, and has been regretting it ever since. He' s eager to get a NIT, but is patiently waiting for the next generation. As am I...

Since that time, we've bought N800s for my sister and brother-in-law, and they love them. Several family friends in the GTA also bought N810s after seeing my mother's NIT, and they love them.

All but one of these people (the brother-in-law) are just average users, with no particular computer chops.

I live in Barrie, work in Toronto. I had a 770 and upgraded last smmer to a n810. It's my commute entertainment. I use it for music, movies, browsing when on wifi or tethered to my e51. It's my GPS, on road trips. I'm a google talk user and I keep in touch with friends and family via it.

Where: Toronto, west end
What: N800 x2 with latest Diablo
When: Bought in 2007, 2008 from TigerDirect.ca, Dell
How:

Public -
Mostly used for portable music, video, podcast machine on GO Train or TTC. That's the best chance of anyone spotting it in the wild.

Occasional portable mail and google talk via tethered cell or adhoc wireless. My son and wife have the other N800, and can use it to chat with me. Especially useful if I'm travelling, and have wifi access at the hotel (or vice versa.) They got the hang of it easily enough, but Modest is not really stable enough for their patience level. Chat is more bullet-proof.

Maemo Mapper, with GPS stick. Driving pre-downloaded routes, or doing quick address lookups via tethered cell. Good for finding directions for friends on an adhoc basis.

I would use PIM if it came integrated with the platform.

Home -

Email, googletalk, browsing, rss, podcasts. Handy to keep nearby. Reduces somewhat but nowhere near eliminates the need for PC.

No immediate drive to upgrade. Would rather see Modest improvements.

Where: GTA (Vaughan and northern Etobicoke)
What: N810 with latest Diablo
When: Purchased from a Tiger Direct retail store, summer 2008.

I usually have my tablet with me wherever I go. Be that as a GPS in my car, various functions at work, liqbase when I go grocery shopping, games to pass the time in waiting rooms etc.

I haven't yet seen anyone else in my travels with a tablet.

Wow, GTA represent.

I got my 770 in Troy Michigan as did a friend in 2005. I got my N810 a few months ago when Tigerdirect.ca finally dropped their prices to $365. I don't use either of them anymore as I got a laptop and iPhone. When I'm mobile, the iPhone handles my browsing/email/etc. needs. If I'm stationary, that's usually when I'm at home and the laptop works.

I saw a 770 once at Bloor/Yonge station on the subway. The guy was listening to music on it tho I didn't catch which app he was using.