iPad or Netbook?
21 April 2010
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With the release of the long awaited iPad, people are caught between the two electronic options. Netbooks have recently dominated the travel market. Is the iPad a revolutionary replacement or just a superfluous gadget?
At the end of this summer I will be traveling and I just can’t imagine taking my 15″ Macbook Pro. Too heavy and too precious (yes, all apple products are precious). Unfortunately, I am too afraid of being out of touch that I really convinced myself that an electronic travel companion was in order. Here is what I plan to use the machine for:
- Email and internet browsing
- Photo storage (I’d like to dedicate one machine to store all photos)
- Skype video
- To use the PC version of QuickBooks—the mac version is lacking one important feature (process invoicing)
- Internet Explorer website testing
So, with those personal requirements in mind (and there are other features that would be nice to have as well) let’s see how the iPad and netbooks compare.
First up, the iPad.
Pros:
- Beautiful display
- Unique interactivity. The experience of “holding” a website is truly unique.
- It’s an Apple product (this is an automatic leg up over any product)
- Could be a nice book reader (although I don’t see myself doing this)
- You can view netflix instant movies on it (I have to say I love my Roku)
- It’s a sexy new product
Cons:
- Price
- Storage space (64GB is the max which really drives the price into a ridiculous category)
- Need an adapter to insert SD cards
- No camera (what a miss for Apple)
- No usb ports (for portable space or peripherals)
- Need to carry and external keyboard if you really want to get anything done
- Doesn’t run a full OS
- Kind of feels like it’s my iPhone on steriods
And netbooks (generically speaking):
Pros:
- Can run a full OS
- Hard drive space
- Keyboard
- SD card slot
- USB ports
- Front-facing camera
- Battery life
- A little larger screen
- Price
Cons:
- They are PCs (it’s like going to the dark side)
- Not made by Apple
- No touch screen (in general and certainly not one as refined as the iPad)
My conclusion.
The iPad really missed the mark. Apple does this every time they release a new sexy product. They tease you with the basics—then, a year later, they release the very thing it should have been to begin with. No camera, limited space and the OS were all pretty close to deal breakers for me. Buying an iPad would have been a truly superfluous purchase. It would give me nothing that my iPhone doesn’t already give me aside from a larger screen.
So, I’m going with a netbook. It’s just a better value—hands down. Looking at the pros and cons lists, a pc user might think that this should have been a no-brainer for me. But, if you are a mac user (like myself) you would understand the value of a mac product.
I will be receiving my netbook next week (it’s a Toshiba T115-s1125). The process of researching an selected a netbook is an entirely different post.
I know the netbook was the right choice for me but is it for you?
Comments
James Smith João Pessoa, Brazil says...
“I’ve been a Mac owner and fan since 1986. But, to me, the iPad is a joke. I have three older PowerBooks and an iMac. There is nothing the iPad does that my 6 y/o PowerBook doesn’t do better. On it, I have 800+ ebooks, they are all mine, mostly downloaded for free and I can copy them, alter the format, share them with friends and no one can delete or restrict them in any way. In addition, I can watch movies, play games, surf the web, and do it all better than the iPad.
Sorry, Apple, but the iPade has a big worm in it.”