What a netbook can do and an iPad can’t
Little bit about the iPad – it’s a 7.5″ by 9.6″ tablet from Apple coming out in April 2010. At only 0.5″ thick, it weighs a bare 1.5lbs. An e-Reader meets tablet, the iPad can be considered a larger version of the iPhone, and just like it’s younger counterpart, there are some significant things it just can’t do. Which is why a netbook is just better.
- No multitasking for third party apps
- No USB ports – which means no connectivity to the outside world, i.e., storage devices, external devices, no attaching your iPhone or iPod touch, no wireless mouses (magic or not), no uploading photos from your camera, no way to install software.
- No HDMI – though there is a dock adapter that allows video output
- Output resolution constrained to 480p
- No webcam – meaning no video chat or iChat
- No flash capabilities – limited online video streaming, which means no Hulu, no Netflix and heavens forbid, no Facebook flash games
- Limited storage – no more than 64 gigs – geez, even netbooks with SSD storage have come up with better than that
- No replaceable batteries
- No ease-of-typing – it’s a virtual keyboard that won’t make typing on the go easy at all. Sure it comes with a keyboard dock, but that won’t survive a train journey unless you’re lucky enough to have a seat opposite a table.
And that, ladies and gentlemen is why – despite the sexiness of the iPad, you’re better off with a netbook. Sure the iPad has better video playback as well, but you can’t give up full functionality of a netbook for a glorified e-Reader. Now if all you want is an eReader, that’s an entirely different story.
More posts as more info is available.
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Pricing info: $500 for 16GB, $600 for 32GB, $700 for 64GB
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Filed under: Netbook Analysis, Netbooks