Apple iPad vs Netbook PC: which one is best?
Last week we had the first half of the head-to-head pitting the Apple iPad against a netbook PC. We covered design, portability, cost, start-up, email, photos, typing documents and video chat. This week on whattabletpc.com we’ll finish off this article and look at how these two devices compare for web surfing, watching films, apps, games, music, e-reader and user interface.
We pick up the action with the iPad having won 3 categories and the netbook PC winning 3. Let’s see how the second half of the comparison plays out…
Web Surfing – Winner Netbook
iPad 3 Netbook 4
Safari on the iPad may be a great usable browser but the pinch mechanism used on the iPhone isn’t required as much on the bigger screen and a netbook gives you access to a whole host of browsers and multiple browser windows. Also the iPad doesn’t support the Flash content technology so is missing big parts of the web including a lot of animation, film and games. Sites are developing HTML 5 versions to make up some of these gaps but this is scratching the surface. There are lots of reasons for this as set out by Steve Jobs himself recently - but Flash is a pretty integral part of the web currently.
Watch films – Winner iPad
iPad 4 Netbook 4
The iPad’s IPS screen was made for video, vibrant colours that remain true and sharp even as you angle the iPad. Netbooks are ok with video but struggle with High Definition and wide angle viewing if there’s more than one of you looking at different angles.
Apps – Winner Netbook
iPad 4 Netbook 5
Tough one to call here, iPad apps are in their infancy but already there are some really powerful ones available. Equally the processes around the Apple app submission mean that you can’t load anything you want to the iPad, Apple need to have approved it first. On one side this means you know the apps will work well on the iPad but you lose the flexibility you have on a netbook to load whatever you can find of the millions of apps available on the web. Add on to this that the iPad doesn’t really allow you to run more than one app simultaneously currently and iPad apps can be pricey. So the netbooks versatility shades this even if its processors are a little weak to actually deal with excessive multitasking.
Games – Winner iPad
iPad 5 Netbook 5
The majority of netbooks can’t handle complex or 3D games – you’re restricted to simple games. The iPad’s processor can deal with 3D games with a large proportion of the titles on Apple’s App Store being of the gaming variety. Newer and future netbooks are improving in this area but the majority have a long way to go before they catch the iPad. The iPad’s unique tilting controls also bring a whole new level of fun.
Music – Draw
iPad 5 Netbook 5
The iPad’s iPod is very slick as you would expect, however you need a pc or laptop to hold your music collection on iTunes before you can even get it on your iPad. A netbook could operate as a standalone device and could even run music via iTunes to do so. However a netbooks just more obtrusive to have to one side whilst you’re travelling and only listening to music.
E-reader – Winner iPad
iPad 6 Netbook 5
A netbook doesn’t even get close to being considered as an alternative to a book – it’s just to bulky. An iPad isn’t bulky, has a great iBooks e-reader app and has the physical shape to do this job.
User interface – Winner iPad
iPad 7 Netbook 5
The iPad has its own user interface or at least a Smartphone operating system customised to fit the device rather than the netbook which attempts to run a version of what is essentially a laptop/desktop operating system in Windows 7. Trying to run a laptop operating system with PC software on a low powered processor just leads to a slow performance. The iPad’s touchscreen is also extremely intuitive and responsive – anyone who’s seen a kid playing with an iPad or iPhone can’t help but notice that the touch input is more natural. Some of the netbook tablet PC hybrids have touchscreens but none are quite to the level of the iPad just yet. Apple and the iPad are all about simplicity and usability, there’s no contest on this one.
Final result
iPad 7 Netbook 5
iPad wins… narrowly.
Ultimately it comes down to what you want this device for, if it’s productivity applications that involve typing documents then the netbook’s physical keyboard is going to win the day. If it’s more about consuming movies then it’s the iPad every time. Decide what’s important to you and you’ll choose the right device for you.
I’m happy to have my scoring system challenged so let me know what you do and don’t agree with on this post.
Related Posts:
The Amazon Kindle Death by iPad
iPad Alternatives – Netbook Tablet PC Hybrids
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