Netbook vs iPad – How do the Two Compare?

PC World has made a handy comparison of the new Apple iPad vs a traditional netbook and I think they hit the nail on the head – the two shouldn’t be compared – they are not aimed at the same target market.

Quoting Apple’s Steve Jobs saying “[The iPad] is so much more intimate than a laptop, and so much more capable than a smartphone with this gorgeous large display.”, they point out that a netbook does a good job of what it is supposed to be – a small, cheap laptop that can do the basic tasks of a normal PC.

The iPad however is a different animal. If you want to type a a long e-mail, you’re either going to get finger-ache using the on-screen touchpad (admittedly it won’t be as fiddly as the iPhone keyboard as it is somewhat larger), or plug in a USB keyboard (perhaps something like the concept in the photo above) which will certainly less attractive, not to mention somewhat less practical to whip out on the train on the way to work.

The iPad is however smaller, lighter, not much more expensive that the average netbook and certainly sexier. I love web browsing on my iPhone, and I am going to love web browsing on the iPad. If the reports about the battery life are true there is not going to be much to worry about in that department.

via PC World
Photo: nDevilTV