Hmmmm..... iPad or Netbook? Thoughts Please.

[skyenet]

She doesn't want a large heavy laptop, she really only wants it for e-mails, storing and sharing a few photos and surfing the web both at home and on the move.

An Ipad is superb for those uses and no messing about with boot up times, viruses or short battery life. It has a great user interface and superb screen.

The downsides are that its expensive for what it is, dosn't have built in SD card reader or USB slot, no cameras. I have the Apple camera connection kit (£25) so that solves the missing Card Reader and USB issue. I have standalone cameras so the lack of a camera on an item which is not pocket portable is not really an issue. The Camera connection kit allows you to upload photos and videos from cameras and the built in photo app is fine.

Plenty free and cheap apps around to do all sorts of things. I have Apple computers so I do get the full benefit of the iPad in that my iTunes software seamlessly manages all the synching of my Music, Videos, Books, PDFs, Contacts, Calendars, Mail, TV Shows, Photos and Apps.

I also have the Keynote, Pages and Numbers apps which are iPad versions of the Apple Mac Office Software called iWorks (Presentation, Word Processor and Spreadsheet). These are powerfull enough to do some quite cool stuff on the iPad and work with the built in photo app. I put together a Keynote presentation of my Europe Holiday on my iPad, ok not quite as easy as doing it on large screen desktop but still manageable. Another great things is that the battery last for absolute ages (10-12 hours)

I do have a Netbook but its hardly ever been switched on since I got the iPad, except for updating all the virus stuff

my 2p worth

 

[judge]

Of course there are rumours the iPad 2 will include cameras for those who want webchat face time - all the followers of Apple's lead are all boasting how theres will have the all important missing cameras and SD card support.

I wouldn't bank on the new iPad having SD card support as they will believe they've cracked this with the camera connector and iTunes over the air syncing.

 

[Big Nick]

Netbook.....IPads are crap

 

[Dickieboy]

My daughters both using netbooks for their Web browsing, facebook Messenger etc and sometimes even the occasional school/college work, battery time is fine well in excess of 2 1/2hrs with the 6 cell Lithium battery.

 

[ianf]

I've got both a plastic macbook, and my ipad with me on a trip this week. I'm surfing on the macbook now.

The ipad however is much better on the plane for watching telly and playing games.

The ipad needs the camera kit to be useful for photography, but you then need to be able to copy stuff on and off with a proper computer at some point.

It doesn't have a lot of memory and will crash the browser and other apps at times (long ride reports seem to do it). It's good but not perfect.

If you want simplicity, go with the netbook or macbook as a first toe in the ater for computing done right.

 

[LOLGEOFF]

All is revealed

oh and...
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Thanks Ken I did have a look there but I thought I'd get a more balanced view by asking some of the chaps on here..... By the way the tan's coming on nicely....

I think I'll get her down to Bluewater one evening and let her pick the one she likes.

 

[longdog]

Take a look here

 

[muppix]

your comparing chalk and cheese, your sony has a cd drive, it will run proper progarms not just apps, now if all you want is e mail and a browsing then the Ipad is great but it is not intended to be a replacement computer.

Fair point, but the iPad is a great replacement for all that I was using the Vaio for, not all that the Vaio could do. OK, this is more down to me than the hardware, but I've got a very powerful Windows 7 desktop with huge monitor and network storage which is where I do the bulk of my 'work'. I've yet to see somebody use a laptop without docking station / external keyboard & mouse for 8 hours a day and say they'd not prefer the ergonomics of a full-size desktop, so the Vaio did for me at those times when the desktop really wasn't practical, such as chucking it in the top-box or with my feet up on the sofa.

One slight grumble with the iPad would be that I can't use it to download pictures from my digital camera, which is something I used to use the Vaio for quite a lot. Again the limitation is more down to me than the hardware (given that Apple have a camera connector out now) because these days I shoot RAW files with my D700, which at 10-20MB a pop overload the iPad as quickly as they do the Vaio's paltry 30GB SSD. Sure, the Vaio can always use external hard drives, but I can always buy more compact flash cards too, and they don't need me to drag around a mains adapter.

iPads, like many Apple products, are a great way to divide people. Folk who have never tried them will wander up to you and tell you how they're crap, why they're crap, and how they'll never, every buy one. Often they'll do this without you actually asking, as if you spending money on something you then feel immensely happy with offends them in some way.

Mup.

 

[finn]

ipad

however recently got the keypad for it so makes typing etc etc much easier if she really wants the concept who knows its a woman just ask if she likes the wheels!!

 

[Pauly S]

ive got an eepc901

ffokin excellent, ssd drive, sd slot for camera cards and the like, wifi, bluetooth, 3 usbs,external monitor slot,printer connector via usb, takes external mouse and keyboard if you want, im sitting in my van surfing and typing, via avodaphone usb internet pay as you go dongle, lasts forever on £15, battery goes for ages 3-4 hrs,intel atom,it runs full programs not apps, its light, unlike the ipad which is quite heavy.
you can send pics from your phone to the pc via bluetooth,or put your sd card straight in the side and just move the piccys across.
you can run xp,windows7 or linux or ubuntu, your choice, Ipad no thanks.
oh its a 2 year warranty too, this one is 18 months old and works fine.
And you can type fast as well on it.
atb Paul

 

[Redboots]

have a look at the samsung galaxy its getting some great reviews

+1

John

 

[AndyT]

have a look at the samsung galaxy its getting some great reviews

Exactly Tablets definately have their place but don't just rely on Apple. The I-Pad seems a bit limited in the fact it has no usb to accept a memory stick or upload stuff from an external source other than via I-Tunes (afaik).

Asus is bring one out in the very near future and Toshiba already has one out so don't just think that the I-Pad is the only tablet.

The Samsung looks like the one for me as its slightly smaller and will fit in a coat pocket but I'm waiting for the Asus before I flex my credit card