| When Steve Jobs said back in January that the iPad | | | | 5. Storage – The iPad will offer a maximum of |
| is "way better than a laptop, way better than a | | | | 64GB storage, and does not provide built-in support |
| smartphone" – because it was "so much more | | | | for SD (SDHC) cards. It does provide a SD |
| intimate than a laptop and so much more capable | | | | card-reader dongle however, but, in typical Apple |
| than a smartphone" – people were sceptical at | | | | control-freak fashion, it will only allow you to import |
| best. Now, more than a week after its launch, their | | | | images and videos on to your iPad. Compare these |
| doubts have not yet been completely exorcised. | | | | limitations to most netbooks, which offer 320GB HDD |
| While it may be obvious that an iPad could never | | | | space, external flash drive support, and built-in SD |
| compare with the raw general computing power | | | | card support. |
| most laptops offer, placing it alongside the laptop's | | | | 6. OS of choice – Not only will you not be limited |
| more specialised cousin, the netbook, seems more | | | | to what applications are available in the Apple App |
| realistic. We take this opportunity to see how they | | | | Store, you can install a variety of OSes, from Ubuntu |
| compare in terms of their ease-of-use and | | | | to Windows 7 Starter; and depending on the |
| functionalities. | | | | sufficiency of your netbook specifications, even |
| Let's get down to it...what makes a netbook better | | | | full-scale versions |
| than an iPad? | | | | 7. A built-in keyboard – The iPad's onscreen |
| 1. Multitasking – Though the latest | | | | keyboard, reviewed by many to be fast and |
| announcements about the iPhone OS 4.0 explicitly | | | | responsive, still takes up more than its fare share of |
| state that multitasking will be available on the iPad by | | | | real-estate on the screen, especially in landscape |
| Fall 2010, it remains to be seen if the form in which it | | | | mode. The iPad, weighing in at 2.4 pounds, is also too |
| will arrive will compare to the known efficacy of | | | | heavy to allow holding it with one hand while typing |
| netbooks, which with quite a bit more RAM will | | | | with the other to be quite unfeasible. Though the |
| definitely have an easier time keeping up with the | | | | iPad offers an external keyboard that serves just as |
| most hardened multitasking user. | | | | well, it has to be docked, and the entire setup |
| 2. Web camera – Apple Inc. might really have | | | | cannot be dangled on your lap like a netbook can. |
| goofed up on this one. A very common use for a | | | | 8. HD – The iPad will play only 720p HD, while |
| MID, laptop, smartphone, modern tablet is to allow | | | | quite a few netbooks offer 1080p HD video. |
| you to stay connected with your friends, family, and | | | | 9. RAM – With the iPad bearing just 256MB of |
| colleagues from across the world. | | | | RAM, you can expect the speed and scope of |
| 3. A complete browsing experience - No matter how | | | | applications developed for it to be limited, though |
| much Apple wants you to believe that Flash is not | | | | they will undoubtedly be speed-optimized. Compare |
| required and how many times Steve Jobs might say | | | | that to netbooks, many of which offer 2GB RAM, |
| the iPad offers the "best browsing experience you've | | | | with upgrade options. |
| ever had", much of the world - innumerable small | | | | 10. Replaceable battery – One day, your netbook |
| webpages and large webpages - still work on Flash. | | | | battery will give up, as will an iPad's battery. But, it is |
| Though changes are on their way and many sites are | | | | far simpler to buy a new netbook battery and |
| offering iPad compatible versions, you can expect it | | | | replace its old one than on an iPad, for which you will |
| to take a while before even a quarter of all the sites | | | | have to pay a $100 and surrender your old tablet. It |
| in the world will do so. The smaller sites might | | | | might also take weeks for Apple to deliver the new |
| possibly never convert, and one should not | | | | device, depending on their service coverage in the |
| underestimate the value of those sites. | | | | area you live in. |
| 4. USB-connectivity – The holy grail of | | | | Also to be noted, is the fact that if you wanted a |
| inter-device connectivity, USB support will allow you | | | | touchscreen device, but not with the limitations of an |
| to connect a variety of devices to a netbook, from | | | | iPad, you do have the option of getting a |
| game controllers to external storage devices, USB | | | | touchscreen netbook. The combination of both |
| modems to printers, webcams to digital/handycams, | | | | touch-screen input along with keyboard/mouse give |
| even those devices (like some PMPs) that require to | | | | those netbooks that do offer it an added advantage. |
| be charged through USB. | | | | |