I still think you're looking at this from the perspective of someone who values a relatively open OS. Many of the design decisions Apple made in producing the original iPad were made in order to mitigate some of those concerns. It doesn't matter that an iPad processor can't stand up next to a desktop processor, because iPad's don't multitask. It doesn't matter that they have relatively little memory compared to a desktop, because it's made for apps that use memory less aggressively. It doesn't matter that a desktop or laptop will beat a comparably priced tablet in nearly every spec because 95% of the people using them don't care about specs. They have a dozen or so things they want their tablet to do well, and it does those things reasonably well. But more importantly, it makes doing those tasks easier and less frustrating.

That's a shift of paradigm. For a very long time, manufacturers have been building machines with the notion of stretching what's possible with a computer. But we're at the point where even the most basic computers on the market can do nearly everything that your average home user would want them to do. The new goal is to focus new machines on providing the best possible experience, and you don't do that by generalizing. Mobile operating systems are all about focusing on a single task or two, and making those tasks as easy and simple to carry out as possible.

The "gamers want power and options" rationale may seem overwhelming to a dedicated gamer, but the fact of the matter is that desktops and laptop sales declined 4.6% last year. Smartphones outsold them for the first time last year, and tablet sales are rapidly catching up. Pew routinely reports that people are using mobile devices to get on the Web—to the exclusion of laptops and desktops. Your rationale also ignores the changing demographics within the gaming community itself. Social and mobile games are the most rapidly growing segment of the market. Changes in accessibility mean that indie game makers are increasingly developing for mobile and console/downloadable. Desktops are still the domain of the AAA developer, but they're increasingly catering to a demographic that's willing to pay top-dollar for a very specific experience.

As I said before, I don't think desktops and laptops are in danger of extinction any time soon—just that they're going to become the domain of specialists. I do most of my computing on a laptop, but I recognize that I'm part of a shrinking minority in that regard. Very few people are programmers or writers with their own website. Most of us simply don't need computers the way they've traditionally been.