Jim,

I would add, that the iPad is the most elegant device on which to store your chip images. Although you can zoom in through other programs on a windows laptop or netbook, nothing is more elegant than zooming in with the finger pinch and spread capability of an iPad.

If you have a decent resolution on your chip scans, it's so easy to zoom in on an area of your chip and see amazing detail - detail you could't see with your naked eye or a magnifying glass.

The iPad is not a cellphone. But you can make calls using it and the "Skype" Application (free).
I made several calls on a trip half way around the world using my iPad and Skype when WiFi was available (there was a nominal fee of a penny or two a minute). But it's not practical as an everyday cellphone.

As for the Kindle, I believe it's only black and white.