I actually love the iPad. I pick it up first thing in the morning and don't put it down unless I'm eating, leave the house, or sit down at my computer to do the few computing tasks I can't do on the iPad. Most of my forum postings are typed from my iPad, including this one. But I do often wish for a larger screen, and the ability to have multiple full-size app windows open at once. The VP should solve that, but it does strike me as less easy to carry with me than an iPad. The iPad fits in any bag that's designed to carry business documents, whereas the VP needs its own special carrying case. That's one of the things preventing me from definitive declaring that VP will completely replace the iPad.
There are other conveniences like pen input, USB input/output/, HDMI out via USB-C to a display. Also, using it as a separate screen for a Mac. Also, others can share the experience on an iPad ( watching a movie/photo gallery on the bed or plugging it into the hdmi input on just about any modern TV). As you said, it easier to carry around outside the home, but also makes communication more normal when you are in the room with a person or zooming/Facetiming via video versus using a goofy avatar. Seeing people’s actual eyes is important in communication. This is simply more isolating than the iPad.
At its price point, for me, it needed to be a Mac replacement ( which is a use case that I do alone… versus watch movies which we do together) or at minimum allow input from other HDMI devices ( use the displays with a PC/Playstation). Needing to also carry around a Mac is a major downside for my use cases.
It I was single or traveled for work, it might be justifiable, but I don’t fit that situation.