After dismissing the idea of wanting an iPad, the past week has been an exercise in new gadget temptation. At the meshU and mesh conferences, and during a weekend getaway to Chicago, the iPad seemed to be everywhere.

At meshU and mesh, there were dozens of iPads even though it’s not officially available in Canada until May 28. In Chicago, there were billboards for the iPad everywhere. Then there was the large Apple Store in Michigan Ave. (the major shopping district) that was teeming with people.

In the end, however, the iPad isn’t a must-have or even a nice to have right now. For me, the biggest hurdle is figuring out where it fits in the scheme of things given I have an MacBook Pro and a MacBook, an iPhone and a SlingBox. If I want to work, do social media or watch TV, I have a device for that.

There is no doubt the iPad is compelling and sexy but it seems difficult to justify alongside a MacBook. The iPad strikes me as a great consumption device but it’s not a production device to be used to do work, or create social media such as blog posts.

For me, it making buying an iPad a challenge because I have a device that does what the iPad does and more. As the Wall St. Journal declared when the iPad was launched, it’s a nice to have device but not a need to have.

So for now, the iPad remains a sexy gadget that tempts but doesn’t seduce. Until there’s a compelling need or reason to have one, I’m content to remain on the sidelines.

More: One more thought about the iPad. At mesh last week, Jason Fry mentioned that the iPad could see people use fewer apps. The iPad’s Web browser, he said, is so good that’s not necessary to download apps such as eBay or LinkedIn. On a related note, the New York Times’ Sunday Magazine had an interesting story on the rise of the “Walled Garden”.