Gadgets – Deciding Between A Netbook And An iPad
How do you decide between the purchase of an iPad or a Netbook? Do both devices offer the same features? It is easy to be influenced by the clever marketing campaigns that manufacturers employ to convince you to purchase, but you should inform yourself of the advantages and disadvantages of both before your proceed. The requirements that you have may differ from those users being marketed to, so it best to analyse the requirements you have before buying.
If you intend to be travelling a large amount of time, battery life is likely to be a deciding factor for you on which device to choose. This means that you will need to consider if paying for a top of the line Netbook is worthwhile, as these are the only models that have battery life equal to the iPad. For iPad users, you will also have the App store, giving access to download thousands of Applications, both at home and on the road.
Thanks to the HD screen that is available on the iPad you can easily view HD movies and explore your photo collection in high resolution. This HD screen also makes the iPad great for reading Ebooks for long periods of time. An iPad is very lightweight which makes it easier for constant transport and use on the road. Unfortunately, the iPad lacks any type of USB functionality inbuilt to the device, so external backup of photos and documents that are created with the iPad cannot be done. Another disadvantage of buying an iPad is that you are locked into the technology that comes with the device, i.e. you will not be able to upgrade any components should better technology become available in the future. Apples iOs, the operating system for the iPad, lacks the capability for Adobe Flash videos to be played (the primary technology behind online video streaming).
Although Netbooks lack the capability of an inbuilt App store that can download new applications at will, Netbooks are highly compatible. This is achieved via the operating system, which, in most cases is Microsoft Windows, therefore allowing the Netbook to run any software that works on Windows. Netbooks can also be more comfortable during prolonged periods of typing, as their keyboard is akin to those of a regular Notebook computer. By purchasing a Netbook you are also not locking yourself in to the same technology throughout the life of the device, with such items as RAM or the Hard drive easily upgraded in the future.
USB functionality is also standard with all Netbooks, so external backup storage will not be an issue. Most Netbooks will have both Wi-Fi and Wired network access, which can be useful in travel where Wi-Fi hotspots are hard to come across. Another disadvantage of most Netbooks is the fact that they weigh a lot more than an iPad. While a iPad 2 weighs only 1.35 pounds (613grams) the average Netbook weighs in at 2.2pounds (1kilogram), so you should be prepared to carry around some extra weight.
For a device that will be future-proof, not requiring an upgrade every two years, the Netbook will be the better choice. However, the iPad is preferred for Ebook reading, movie watching, game playing and general computing tasks such as small emails or web browsing.
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