After careful deliberation and painful soul-searching, I decided to pick up an Apple iPad last July. (I couldn't really afford an iPad, but that's another story.) So I thought I'd share my thoughts and observations on it, specifically in the context of the question I get asked most often amongst the iPad skeptics who know me: why get an iPad when you could just get a netbook computer instead?
I don't think I need to explain what an iPad is; we've all seen the commercials, maybe even seen one up close or used one.
A netbook, for the uninitiated, is simply a very small-scale laptop computer.
Netbooks don't generally have a great deal of raw computing power, and accordingly are not very expensive to buy (usually in the $400 to $600 range, maybe a shade under); like the iPad, their use is generally limited to web browsing, e-mail, social networking, e-book reading, and light applications, with the occasional casual game or Youtube video thrown in, if the user is so inclined. Like the iPad, netbooks are very lightweight and portable, so they're a favorite among college students and the younger crowd in general. With few exceptions, most netbook computers are PCs that run some flavor of Microsoft Windows.
So let me run down the general areas in which I've found that the iPad and netbooks seem to butt heads, as well as my view of how each device stacks up in these areas.
Form factor. A computing device's form factor refers to the physical attributes of the device, and how the device is used based on those attributes. A netbook computer employs a laptop form factor; it has a QWERTY keyboard, a video screen, and a trackpad mouse, and all of these components are necessary for its use. An iPad employs a pad form factor; it's basically a flat, thin plastic or metal shell that encases a small video screen. You don't use a trackpad to move a cursor around the screen; you use your fingers to touch and swipe the screen itself. You don't use a keyboard to type; a virtual, graphic image of a keyboard automatically appears on the screen when you need to type.
To some, the difference in the form factors of an iPad and a netbook make the two devices so different as to render any comparison between them invalid. Apples and oranges, as it were. I can understand this viewpoint, but I don't share it. There are advantages and disadvantages to each form factor, and it's up to the user as to which form factor works better for them. For me, no matter how small a netbook computer you buy, you're still stuck with the laptop form factor, and you still need the keyboard, trackpad mouse, and video screen (along with their requisite size and weight). Additionally, if you're low on battery, you also need to plug in a power supply, and if you don't like using the netbook's trackpad mouse, you have to plug in a mouse.
To me, only a pad device like the iPad offers true portability, combining both input and output in a single screen. But I will admit, one thing I've found with the iPad is that holding a pad in your hands really pretty much sucks after only a few minutes of use. There's just no good way to do it; if you hold it in front of you like you're holding the steering wheel of a car, your arms get tired. If you lay it on a table, the viewing angle prevents you from seeing the screen, so you still have to hold it at the proper angle with one or both hands. If you cradle it in one arm, it's hard to keep the screen straight; your view of the device is tilted left or right. The only effective solution I've found is to use an iPad stand to support the device (there are stands of many varying types ands sizes out there). That gets it out of my hands altogether, and plus I'm free to type.
But then, that adds another component to the pad's form factor; now it's not just a pad, but a pad with a stand that I need to lug around with me. So my verdict on form factor: it's six of one, half dozen of the other. Neither device's form factor makes that device the hands-down winner in this writer's opinion.
Cost. It's hard to beat a netbook computer in terms of low cost, and the iPad can't. Like most Apple products, the iPad is marketed as a premium, high-end gadget; at $500 to start, there's little thought toward the iPad as being a bargain. As stated, a good netbook computer usually falls in the $400 to $600 range. But there's a big caveat here: that $400 to $600 price range is for base models. Most companies that manufacture netbooks give you the option to upgrade certain hardware components, like RAM memory or hard drive space. Some of them charge more money for these hardware upgrades than the upgrades themselves are worth, so it's very easy to go in with the intent to spend $400 on a netbook computer, and end up spending $700 or $800 or more. But...here's what you would spend on an iPad:
$500-iPad with 16 gigabytes of storage and Wi-Fi Internet (as in you need a local wireless network to access the Internet).
$600-iPad with 32 gigabytes of storage and Wi-Fi Internet (as in you need a local wireless network to access the Internet).
$700-iPad with 64 gigabytes of storage and Wi-Fi Internet (as in you need a local wireless network to access the Internet).
$629-iPad with 16 gigabytes of storage and 3G Internet (you can use the AT&T cell phone network to access the Internet, so you don't need a wireless network).
$729-iPad with 32 gigabytes of storage and 3G Internet (you can use the AT&T cell phone network to access the Internet, so you don't need a wireless network).
$829-iPad with 64 gigabytes of storage and 3G Internet (you can use the AT&T cell phone network to access the Internet, so you don't need a wireless network).
With those last three options, keep in mind that you also need to pay a monthly fee for Internet access.
Bottom line: as long as you're OK with the hardware specifications for the base model of whatever netbook computer you're looking at, you'll likely spend less money on a netbook. I should point out, though, that the quality of the video display--arguably the most important component of a computing device of any kind--varies rather widely between netbook brands and models, so some comparison shopping may be in order. iPads don't have that problem; you get a gorgeous, responsive 9.7-inch multitouch display no matter which one you buy.
Operating system. Like I said, most netbooks have some version of Microsoft Windows on them, where iPads use Apple's proprietary iOS. There are a couple of pad devices that run Google's Android operating system as well, but the pad market right now is overwhelmingly iPad/iOS. So which operating system is better? Well, again lets look at what a netbook and a pad computer are generally used for: web browsing, e-mail, social networking, e-book reading, and light applications. These are fairly simple and lightweight duties that don't require an overly sophisticated operating system, and in my experience that's what Windows IS. It's a highly capable and feature-rich operating system, and one that's accordingly big, complex, clunky, and fairly demanding of computer hardware resources (memory, disk space, processor speed, etc,) to run. Apple's iOS, on the other hand, was designed for phone and pad devices like the iPad, so it's not nearly as complex as Windows, its much faster and easier to use, and it doesn't need a particularly powerful device to run. Windows also suffers from malware and spyware, computer viruses, and the tendency to slow down the more software and/or hardware peripherals (printers, digital cameras, etc.) that are installed; iOS has none of these problems. In my book, this makes iOS the clear winner for pad/netbook-type duties.
Applications. This is a tricky subject, and there's probably no clear winner here. Netbook users have a vast number of Windows applications to choose from, and iPad users have a vast number of iOS applications; to me, the difference is in the KIND of application that Windows and iOS have to offer. Windows applications generally seem to run more toward the productivity and utilitarian side of life. If you need office productivity and connectivity tools, or if you're going to college and you're required to have applications like software development tools, or if you need certain web browser plug-ins--you're much more likely to find these things in the the Windows world than you are the iOS world. iOS applications, on the other hand, tend to gear more toward the entertainment, leisure, artistic, and K-12 education side of things. There are certainly productivity and utilitarian applications to be had in the iOS world, but they're few and far between; iOS's forte lies more with educational applications like the periodic table of the elements, or with e-book readers, or digital interfaces for popular magazines like People or Motor Trend. Another example: Comcast cable television subscribers can download an application for the iPad that allows them to use their iPad as a remote control for their cable box. This is what an iPad is mainly for; applications that won't necessarily change the world or anything, but that are fun and handy to have around.
So when choosing between a netbook or an iPad, it's wise to consider the general type of application that you 'd use it for. An iPad is a great choice for casual users, where a netbook might be better suited for the more serious, productivity-minded user. It's worth noting, though, that even the more productivity-oriented user may be able to find applications in the iOS world to suit their needs. That's because iPads are flying off the shelf and are in very high demand, and software manufacturers of all manner of software are taking notice--even companies who once thought the Windows market was all they'd ever need to cater to.
Autonomy. That's a weird measure of a computing device; let me explain. A netbook operates autonomously, meaning that once you get it it, you plug it in, turn it on, and away you go. iPads aren't like that; in order to begin using an iPad, you have to connect it to another computer. It can be a Mac or a PC, desktop or laptop, doesn't really matter; it just needs to have Apple's iTunes program installed. Why? iPad users must occasionally connect their iPad to the computer for a process known as synchronization. The iPad synchronizes, or syncs, with the iTunes program on the computer, and in this process the iPad's software is backed up on the computer, and it gets updates to its iOS operating system from Apple. All well and good--but you have to have the computer to sync with! If you don't already have a computer, or if you don't know someone who would allow you to use their computer as iPad sync fodder, then you'd best skip the iPad and go straight to Best Buy or Micro Center to begin your search for a netbook.
Web browsing experience. Most people assume that web browsing is web browsing, whatever the device or operating system. Not so, however, due to a couple of semi-questionable choices on Apple's part (more specifically on the part of Apple's CEO, Steve Jobs). Mr. Jobs has decreed that iOS does not, and likely never will, support the Adobe Flash protocol for web page graphics, animations, and video. Most of the major web sites in the world use Flash for some or all of their web content, so no Flash support means that the iPad can't do all of the things in the average web page that a Windows-powered netbook can. Another thing on the iPad: of all the major web browser choices that Windows users take for granted, only the Safari browser is allowed on the iPad. No Google Chrome, no Firefox, no Opera; you can either use Safari, or install a no-name browser and hope that it doesn't crash.
As to the absence of Flash support, Jobs cites browser performance and security concerns. Fair enough; Flash can indeed consume a fair amount of system resources, and it is used by a number of spyware and malware installer programs on the Windows side to carry out whatever evil plans it has in store for infected computers. But how does the absence of Flash, in a worldwide web that uses Flash so heavily, affect the overall web browsing experience on an iPad? After 7 months with an iPad, I can honestly say, not as much as I'd have thought. I read reviews of the iPad when it first came out, describing the web experience as "broken," but I've not really found this to be the case. There's definitely functionality on some sites that does not work on an iPad, no question. (Try and watch video on www.g4tv.com using an iPad, and you'll see what I mean.) But most of the web sites that I've used on an iPad rely on Flash only for certain components of the site; the overall functionality of the site isn't affected. Take Facebook, for example; only when I try to play a Facebook game or watch an embedded video that one of my friends has posted do I get a Flash error message; everything else in Facebook I can do with no problem.
I do occasionally run into web functionality problems that stem not from the lack of Flash, but rather because of some weirdness or incompatibility that web site has with the Safari browser. (And I wonder aloud what would be so horrible about there being another major browser available for me to install on the iPad.) But this is proving increasingly rare; as stated earlier, the runaway success that Apple is currently enjoying with the iPad and with their OSX computers seems to be getting the attention of web developers these days. The message from more and more companies to their web developers seems to be, Make our site work with Safari! Same with Flash; whether Steve Jobs should start supporting Flash or not, many web site developers (Youtube, for one) are seeing the folly of relying on one content development company, Adobe, for so much of their content, and they're now moving toward open standards like HTML 5 to replace Flash content.
I'm not really all that concerned about how web sites look in Safari on the iPad anyway, because so many of the major web sites now offer iPad applications that provide the same content as the web site, but in a nice, tight, organized fashion that completely nullifies the need to use their web site for anything at all. NPR, CNN, BBC News, Twitter, Engadget, Ars Tecnica...all of these content providers now have iPad apps that work infinitely better than their web site counterparts. And the best part? No ads! So for an increasing number of content providers, I don't need the web and I don't miss it. To harp on the Facebook example again, there's already a Facebook app for the iPhone; once they roll out the iPad Facebook app, I'll promptly forget all about www.facebook.com.
So although netbooks win the web experience battle for now, the iPad web experience should more than suffice, if indeed you have to use the web on an iPad for your content at all.
Peripheral and network connectivity. Netbook computers have USB and VGA ports, through which users can connect peripheral devices like an external hard drive, a video monitor or projector if need be, a digital camera, pretty much anything that uses a standard port. Netbooks also have an Ethernet network port, so that users can connect the netbook directly to an Ethernet network if they want faster, more reliable networking than their wireless/cellular network has to offer. iPads, however, have exactly one connectivity port, an Apple-proprietary port on the bottom of the device that doubles as the electrical charging port. The only way to connect a peripheral device to this port is through a plug-in adapter. This gives Apple complete control over what kinds of devices can be connected to the iPad; if Apple doesn't make an adapter for it, you can't connect it. Period.
The only adapters available are a USB port adapter, an SD card adapter for accessing SD memory cards, and a VGA adapter for connecting an external monitor, projector, etc. This does cover most kinds of peripheral devices, but there's a catch: even once you get the peripheral device connected, you can only use it the way Steve Jobs allows you to use it. Those USB and SD reader adapters? All you can do with them is copy digital photos to and from the iPad. Forget about using an external hard drive with the USB adapter to augment the pad's storage space; not allowed. Oh, and no Ethernet network connectivity either; it's wireless or nothing. Netbooks don't have any of these limitations; once you get your peripheral device connected, away you go.
The iPad's connectivity issues prevented me from buying one for a long time; the inconvenience aside, I didn't like the idea of forking over hundreds of dollars for a gadget, and then being told how I could and could not use that gadget. And however much I may like my iPad, I would understand anyone's reluctance to buy one under these circumstances. But I'm nevertheless forced to admit that in the end, connectivity just isn't a big part of the whole iPad gig. If you want to copy picture files up to the iPad, all you have to do is import them into iTunes on the computer you use to sync it, and then...well, sync it! Voila, insta photos. And since the next version of the iPad will likely have a camera built-in, the photo upload issue soon won't be much of an issue at all. Yes, giving the iPad more storage space would be nice if I wanted to store all my pictures and music on it, but honestly, I have a computer for that. The iPad is for reading and surfing and geeking out on cool apps and such. A netbook can do all these things, though...and connect up to peripherals...so I must admit that a netbook comes out on top in this area.
The final analysis. Now that I've gone over the key comparisons between a netbook and an iPad, let me sum it all up. In then end, when I fork over a few hundred bucks that I don't really have (again, long story), I want to get a gadget out of it. I want a shiny new toy, something that's unlike any other gadget I have. I want to do mainly fun stuff on it--watch videos, play some Angry Birds, read a book or magazine, get caught up on the latest news...but I also occasionally want to be productive on it. Bottom line, what I don't want, is a computer. And that's what a netbook IS. A computer. Another Windows computer, like what I use at work. No matter where you go, there you are; it's still the same old, stodgy Windows that we've all been using for years. For my few hundred bucks, I want something more, and the iPad fits that bill perfectly.
My head tells me, "Geez Edugeek! Read your own blog for cripes sake! You can do so much more with a netbook!" But my heart says, "I don't want to do more. I want to do what I want to do, and do it in a fun, unique, cool way." There's also the portability factor. The smallest netbook out there, is still nothing but a laptop computer. Keyboard, screen, trackpad mouse, and possibly other components to boot. A pad is nothing more than pad, period. I can take it with me anywhere, stuff it into a car's glove box or a bike's handlebar bag, wherever. I can take it when I go on vacation and not feel guilty, not feel like I'm taking technology with me to someplace where I ought to be trying to get away from technology. I can--and do--take it to the coffee shop, connect to the wireless network, and away I go...and I'm the envy of everyone around me besides!
But that's me. Leave your opinions on the matter in the comments section below!
UPDATE 2-20-2011: My stepson Kevin informed me that the prices I listed for netbook computers were not entirely accurate. He found netbooks on www.Newegg.Com that go for ~$250 to start. That's half the price of the cheapest iPad. I stand corrected! --Ed.
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