Apple iPad, Day 5: Does the iPad Need Adobe Flash?

As part of the 30 Days With the iPad experiment, I thought it only fair to examine just how crucial Adobe Flash is, and whether it makes any notable difference in the ability of the iPad to function as a replacement for my notebook."Yeah--but, it doesn't have Flash!" It is the mantra of anti-iPad sentiment; a rallying cry for those opposed to the iOS mobile platform; a poster child for what is wrong with Apple mobile devices. But, aside from being an easy sound bite to throw around on Twitter or in forum comments, does it really matter?