15 reasons why iPad is better than a netbook

[lilo777]

Strange as it may seem, I have time to visit forums like this one precisely because I am able to get things done. I have been using the iPad on a couple of projects and it's been working really well.

And you did not get the point. If your own opinion about the iPad (or anything else to this matter) was the only things that mattered to you, you probably would not go to forums to defend the device.

That's about the most inane spin I've seen put forth yet to explain away the iPad's popularity. Congrats on reaching a new low for haters.

Who are the haters?

 

[vw195]

These reasons are not advantages of netbooks but laptops in general. A netbook is just a really slow, cheap, crappy laptop.

Like I said, the ONLY reason to get a netbook is because they are cheap. If money wasn't a concern, why would anyone choose a netbook over a MBA?

The iPad, on the other hand, serves a purpose besides price. There are plenty of wealthy people still choosing to buy an iPad.

I think a better question is why buy the MBA. It is 5x the cost, has no expansion slots, is bigger, doesn't run win7, no vga out etc. MBA is an absolute rip, and is a status purchase only

 

[lilo777]

These reasons are not advantages of netbooks but laptops in general. A netbook is just a really slow, cheap, crappy laptop.

Like I said, the ONLY reason to get a netbook is because they are cheap. If money wasn't a concern, why would anyone choose a netbook over a MBA?

The iPad, on the other hand, serves a purpose besides price. There are plenty of wealthy people still choosing to buy an iPad.

You can not deny that netbooks and iPad are used for mostly the same purposes (couch www browsing) and netbooks actually do at least as good job as iPad. This CNET review shows that netbooks are at least as fast and in many cases much faster at browsing than iPad.

 

[GamecockMac]

You can not deny that netbooks and iPad are used for mostly the same purposes (couch www browsing) and netbooks actually do at least as good job as iPad. This CNET review shows that netbooks are at least as fast and in many cases much faster at browsing than iPad.

Sorry, care to point out exactly how netbooks are "much faster at browsing" than the iPad. Because I sure don't see it in the tests listed by CNET.

 

[h3nG]

When I went to best buy to test out the iPad...bb had the netbook section right next to the iPad. I played with the iPad for a bit and saw a really nice Asus net book for 299...loaded webpages much faster, especially when scrolling than the iPad, and even had flash. Needless to say I went back home empty handed that day.

Ultimately I ended getting an iPad...I had to find another reason to justify my purchase. That reason is portability and ease in quick use. It's nice being able to quickly pick it up and browse. I still do extended web browsing on my laptop.

This article is pretty lame though...

 

[h3nG]

Sorry, care to point out exactly how netbooks are "much faster at browsing" than the iPad. Because I sure don't see it in the tests listed by CNET.

Take a timer and load a few intensive webpages and compare...now do some quick scrolling....notice there are no checkers? It's actually pretty obvious net books are faster if you use them both. Not significantly..but it does add up if you are loading 100 pages or so per day.

Anandtech has some comparison...

 

[GamecockMac]

Take a timer and load a few intensive webpages and compare...now do some quick scrolling....notice there are no checkers? It's actually pretty obvious net books are faster if you use them both.

Anecdotal... Next?

 

[lilo777]

Sorry, care to point out exactly how netbooks are "much faster at browsing" than the iPad. Because I sure don't see it in the tests listed by CNET.

Here is a quote from CNET:

SunSpider JavaScript benchmark
Netbook: 2,272ms
iPad: 12,591ms

So, netbook was 6x faster and I assume that you know what role JavaScript plays in design of WEB sites/pages.

 

[GamecockMac]

Here is a quote from CNET:

SunSpider JavaScript benchmark
Netbook: 2,272ms
iPad: 12,591ms

So, netbook was 6x faster and I assume that you know what role JavaScript plays in design of WEB sites/pages.

Thanks for walking right into that one, as I expected you predictably would.

The netbook was a whopping 10.3 seconds faster, not in an actual real-world browsing test, but in grinding through a JavaScript benchmark. Even CNET cautioned throughout their article that they couldn't really come up with any solid metrics by which to compare the two devices, and the only ones they conducted that would really apply equally to both in real-world usage would be boot-up and loading of a web page. Of course, when the iPad destroyed the netbook in booting (and that probably from a completely shutdown state, instead of sleep mode where it is nearly instant-on) and loading the CNET site turned out to be a dead heat, they did their level best to explain why those tests shouldn't be given much weight, making excuses for the fact that the poor little netbook had to load the bloat of Windows 7 while the iPad only had to load the "slim" iPhone OS, as though that's somehow Apple's fault for not trying to cram a full-featured OS onto a device not meant to be a replacement for a computer.

But I figured haters like you would cling to weak articles like this one with their flimsy "data" in a desperate attempt to help sell your argument that no one should buy an iPad, whether or not they prefer it to a cheap plastic netbook. What I can't fathom is why some of you people are so threatened by this little "toy" or even care what others decide to spend their money on, that you'll troll forums like this one trying your hardest to shove your opinions down the throats of others. Did Apple steal your girlfriend or run over your dog?

 

[h3nG]

Anecdotal? Anandtech.com did a comparison. The netbook tested loaded pages about twice as fast in almost every case...

Seems like even if we sat down and ran the test in front of you, you would still refuse to acknowledge it. Comical indeed.

 

[GamecockMac]

Anecdotal? Anandtech.com did a comparison. The netbook tested loaded pages about twice as fast in almost every case...

I still don't see a link to this comparison that you've mentioned twice now, so yes...anecdotal.

 

[h3nG]

I still don't see a link to this comparison that you've mentioned twice now, so yes...anecdotal.

LOL. I guess if you can't find it, it doesn't exist. Oh well. I am too lazy to look for it anyways. So you can accept my statement as "anecdotal" then. I remember it being in his review if your still interested.

I am only trying to make a point that netbooks are faster at loading webpages than the ipad...not that one is better than another b/c they serve different purposes.

 

[GamecockMac]

I am only trying to make a point that netbooks are faster at loading webpages than the ipad...not that one is better than another b/c they serve different purposes.

Well, you've failed at making that point, because all you've offered to this juncture is "seems faster to me" and an article that you brought up, but apparently can't produce.

Pardon me if I can't simply accept your word on this subject at face value.

 

[h3nG]

I guess so.

 

[lilo777]

Thanks for walking right into that one, as I expected you predictably would.

The netbook was a whopping 10.3 seconds faster, not in an actual real-world browsing test, but in grinding through a JavaScript benchmark. Even CNET cautioned throughout their article that they couldn't really come up with any solid metrics by which to compare the two devices, and the only ones they conducted that would really apply equally to both in real-world usage would be boot-up and loading of a web page. Of course, when the iPad destroyed the netbook in booting (and that probably from a completely shutdown state, instead of sleep mode where it is nearly instant-on) and loading the CNET site turned out to be a dead heat, they did their level best to explain why those tests shouldn't be given much weight, making excuses for the fact that the poor little netbook had to load the bloat of Windows 7 while the iPad only had to load the "slim" iPhone OS, as though that's somehow Apple's fault for not trying to cram a full-featured OS onto a device not meant to be a replacement for a computer.

But I figured haters like you would cling to weak articles like this one with their flimsy "data" in a desperate attempt to help sell your argument that no one should buy an iPad, whether or not they prefer it to a cheap plastic netbook. What I can't fathom is why some of you people are so threatened by this little "toy" or even care what others decide to spend their money on, that you'll troll forums like this one trying your hardest to shove your opinions down the throats of others. Did Apple steal your girlfriend or run over your dog?

Would you stop this BS? Firstly netbooks also have sleep mode. Secondly, the 30 second time difference in boot time is negligible considering that you do it once a day (at most). We all know that Mac fans hate benchmarks and prefer to talk about "experience". Well then, see data below.

I still don't see a link to this comparison that you've mentioned twice now, so yes...anecdotal.

I understand that lately Apple fans started hating Google. Still, I recommend you to use it when you need to find something on the Internet. The article that you so wanted to read is here. And here are the loading times for some real web pages (from this article):


iPhone 3GS _ Google Nexus One _ iPad _ ASUS Eee PC 1001P
AnandTech Front Page 4.5s 4.3s 3.1s 1.2s
CNN Front Page______ 5.4s 4.4s 3.9s 2.8s
CNN Front Page 3____ 8.7s 6.8s 6.3s 3.5s
Facebook___________ 2.5s 2.4s 2.0s 1.4s
MSN_______________ 10.5s 5.1s 5.0s 2.8s
Yahoo!_____________ 1.9s 1.6s 1.4s 0.8s
Engadget___________15.0s 11.6s 11.1s 4.8s

Any other bright comments?

 

[marksman]

No they don't.

Yes they do.


edit: seems we have hit an impasse.

 

[GamecockMac]

The article that you so wanted to read is here. And here are the loading times for some real web pages (from this article):


iPhone 3GS _ Google Nexus One _ iPad _ ASUS Eee PC 1001P
AnandTech Front Page 4.5s 4.3s 3.1s 1.2s
CNN Front Page______ 5.4s 4.4s 3.9s 2.8s
CNN Front Page 3____ 8.7s 6.8s 6.3s 3.5s
Facebook___________ 2.5s 2.4s 2.0s 1.4s
MSN_______________ 10.5s 5.1s 5.0s 2.8s
Yahoo!_____________ 1.9s 1.6s 1.4s 0.8s
Engadget___________15.0s 11.6s 11.1s 4.8s

Any other bright comments?

Sure. Here's one...the TOTAL difference in loading all the web pages that AnandTech used in their testing was a whopping 15.5 seconds. Well done, netbook! You've made back half of the difference you lost to the iPad in start-up time...Yay!

Yep, netbooks are "much faster" than the iPad. On the bright side, I bet you can drink a whole glass of Haterade while you're waiting for that cheap P.O.S. to boot up.

 

[marksman]

42 reasons why netbooks are better than the iPad. It works both ways.


http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2358590,00.asp

Sorry mods but can't multi-quote the last one and this one.

1) Netbooks are cheaper. The majority of them run between $200-$400. And after you spend all that money on accessories and upgrade options for the iPad, you'd be able to buy three netbooks for the same amount of money.

I don't understand. I can build a desktop cheaper than a netbook. How is this relevant?

2) With a netbook, you can multitask, allowing you to run several apps at the same time.

Except the processor sucks and the screen is too small so there is no point in multitasking. A top end netbook can literally do one thing sort of okay as long as you shut down all background tasks. IE I have a powerful netbook (lol), and I have to shut literally everything down to get it to stream netflix reasonably well.

3) Though it hasn't been confirmed that there is absolutely no Flash support in the iPad, we at least know netbooks have full Flash support.

Flash sucks. Flash also causes a netbook to blow up and then you get to sit there while your underpowered computer chugs on windows forever before you can do anything else. There it at all goes. BOOM FLASH

4) Netbooks have USB ports, about two to three on average. The iPad has none.

Um... errr... uh ah... The iPad has a docking adapter, the netbook has none.

5) Higher Resolutions. There are several 10-inch netbooks that offer 1,366-by-768 resolutions, namely the HP Mini 5102, Dell Mini 10, and Sony VAIO VGN W-Series. The iPad tops out at 1,024 by 768.

LOL. Yes and it is so nice on those screens. It looks so beautiful. I have a mbp that is 17" and does 1900x1200. You know what, higher resolution on a smaller monitor is not a good thing. 1366x768 is ridiculous for a 10" screen.

6) Netbooks have options for bigger screens. You can get one with an 11-inch or 12-inch widescreen.

I can plug my iPad into a 65" tv? a 12" device is no longer a netbook it is laptop. Unless my 17" MBP is just a mega netbook?

7) Removable batteries. You can buy an additional battery for your netbook if you want, allowing it to last for multiple days.

Yeah because the battery life on them sucks. How is adding more weight to carry around to a device that is already twice as much as the iPad with half the batter life better? It is worse. Way worse.

8) Every single netbook comes with a webcam for video conferencing and chats.

Oh joy. That is a big seller. The world is just one big video conference.
oh wait no its not. I don't even know anyone who uses video conferencing on a regular basis and I know people who travel 250-300 days a year.


9) They have physical keyboards, so you don't have to spend extra money to buy a physical one that docks.

Oh so you mean if I buy a full size bluetooth keyboard, for example and am able to use it fully, that is a negative? You can do the same with the netbook. I don't know how having an undersized keyboard on a device is a positive.

10) Multiformat card readers are built into every netbook, so you can download photos and videos from your camera.

This is not even true.

11) Netbooks have the potential to support handwriting recognition. Handwriting recognition is built into Windows and convertible netbook tablets already exist, so it's only a matter of time before Wacom bursts into action.

Seriously, they got to 9 and then just went from saying things that were not even advantages to just making stuff up now. All the way to 9? Seriously. WTH. I was thinking I was going to have to go all the way through this but they ran out of gas at nine?

12) Netbooks have a clamshell design, so their screens are less likely to get scratched.

iPads have high quality screens so they are less likely to suck.

13) Netbooks use faster processors.

What?

14) Yeah, spinning drives on netbooks are less durable than the solid-state drives (SSDs) found in the iPad, but they come in greater capacities; and at least you can upgrade a netbook up to a 128GB SSD.

OMG. PCmag you suck go die in a grease fire. I can't keep doing this. You ran out of even half-arsed points at 9 and you went to 42? You should be burned. I want your stupid magazine banned from all iPads for being so dumb.

[15-42] Snipped because PCMag clearly is dumb.

ps I own two netbooks and no iPads.

 

[lilo777]

Sure. Here's one...the TOTAL difference in loading all the web pages that AnandTech used in their testing was a whopping 15.5 seconds. Well done, netbook! You've made back half of the difference you lost to the iPad in start-up time...Yay!

Yep, netbooks are "much faster" than the iPad. On the bright side, I bet you can drink a whole glass of Haterade while you're waiting for that cheap P.O.S. to boot up.

Very intelligent. So, you are implying that for each time you start iPad you view only what 14 web pages? In this case indeed iPad wins. Just keep re-booting it otherwise the realization of the fact how much time you could have saved using netbook might kill you

 

[GamecockMac]

Very intelligent. So, you are implying that for each time you start iPad you view only what 14 web pages? In this case indeed iPad wins. Just keep re-booting it otherwise the realization of the fact how much time you could have saved using netbook might kill you

Nope, what I'm implying is that most users are not going to notice 0.6 seconds faster here, 1.3 seconds faster there, during a few hours worth of web browsing, when the majority of their time isn't spent loading pages, but (gasp!) actually consuming the content on them. But of course, you naysayers would have people believe that a netbook is OMG SO MUCH FASTER THAN IPAD!!!11!1!!

And yes, in fact there are instances during someone's daily life when they might just want to pick up their iPad or netbook and check the showtimes for a movie, the address of a restaurant, fact from a Wiki article, etc. Which device is going to let them accomplish that task MUCH faster and let them get on with their day? I think you know the obvious answer, but I bet your "intelligence" isn't going to let you admit it.

 

[lilo777]

Nope, what I'm implying is that most users are not going to notice 0.6 seconds faster here, 1.3 seconds faster there, during a few hours worth of web browsing, when the majority of their time isn't spent loading pages, but (gasp!) actually consuming the content on them. But of course, you naysayers would have people believe that a netbook is OMG SO MUCH FASTER THAN IPAD!!!11!1!!

And yes, in fact there are instances during someone's daily life when they might just want to pick up their iPad or netbook and check the showtimes for a movie, the address of a restaurant, fact from a Wiki article, etc. Which device is going to let them accomplish that task MUCH faster and let them get on with their day? I think you know the obvious answer, but I bet your "intelligence" isn't going to let you admit it.

Here is a data for a very old (2008) netbook (Acer Aspire One): "Turn on – which takes 24 seconds from cold, or 12 seconds from sleep mode". Full article is here.

12 seconds start time is fast enough. That's how much time iPad needs to load Engadget page. 12 seconds once a day is not an issue. Netbook loading web pages two times faster than iPad might be a non-issue too but at least people should realize that what they think is the "best surfing experience" might be worse than what netbook users have.

 

[GamecockMac]

Here is a data for a very old (2008) netbook (Acer Aspire One): "Turn on – which takes 24 seconds from cold, or 12 seconds from sleep mode". Full article is here.

12 seconds start time is fast enough. That's how much time iPad needs to load Engadget page. 12 seconds once a day is not an issue. Netbook loading web pages two times faster than iPad might be a non-issue too but at least people should realize that what they think is the "best surfing experience" might be worse than what netbook users have.

Wow. You are really reaching now. But I'd expect no less from a dedicated hater.

So in order to find a netbook that has comparable boot time to the iPad you had to go dig up one from 2 years ago that ran some lite version of Linux? But I thought having a full-fledged Windows OS was one of the highly touted selling points for netbook fanboys? Oh, and you failed to mention the impressive 2h 20m battery life that this powerhouse machine put up in SlashGear's testing (not to mention the 20% drain while in sleep mode overnight). And of course, no statistics on web page load times (for Engadget or any other site) for the Acer, so I guess you're left taking a little bit from Column A and a little from Column B in a desperate attempt to salvage some sort of an argument here.

Once again...YOU FAIL IT. But keep trying, you might eventually get it right by accident.

 

[drjsway]

I think a better question is why buy the MBA. It is 5x the cost, has no expansion slots, is bigger, doesn't run win7, no vga out etc. MBA is an absolute rip, and is a status purchase only

Because netbooks are crap that are not even worth $100. Cramped keyboard, crappy screen (they are all $15 screens whereas the iPad uses an $100 screen), tiny trackpad, horrible processor (seriously, why torture yourself with an atom. The MBA has a C2D and the iPad runs a mobile OS built for processors of this speed)

The MBA is around the same weight as a netbook. It can also run Windows 7. I had a Lenovo netbook and wanted to chuck it against a wall.

 

[tunerX]

Once somebody makes a netbook with a flip, multitouch screen and the Linux kernel supports multitouch... A better processor than the current Atom lineup would be good.

Connecting to RS-232 console ports isn't really possible with the iPad, unless somebody knows otherwise.

Running dynamips/dynagen to test out Cisco router configurations also not possible on an iPad.

virtualbox/vmware for access to exchange and visio diagrams is not possible on an ipad (My company dicates the use of windows apps).

An HP TM2 in a netbook formfactor...

 

[JBazz]

Gaming. Too bad the iPad can't play FLASH games. Too bad it is not running Windows either, where there are more games available than in the App store..

Too bad it isnt running windows? Seriously? LOL

Yeah, just what most of us want, to run a power hogging additional application for virus protection. Wait for it to start up, shut down. Yawn.