Touch pads and Tablets

When I get rid of this laptop computer I’ve been using for the past three years, I want something cutting edge and sexy. I’m seriously thinking about getting a new tablet PC. Has anyone got one? I’d like to hear from real people – not just a salesman – about the high lights and the low points of having a tablet PC. It seems to me that not having a traditional keyboard would be tough for writing reports and blogging. Does the screen keyboard work OK or does it slow you down? What about battery life? Does dropping one mean its dead from a cracked screen or are they tough?