While I understand the desire to justify an iPad, for now I say that a netbook is a better match for your "needs". You could make an iPad work and frankly (for me at least), typing accuracy and speed isn't that much different on the iPad touchscreen vs a netbook shrunken keyboard. The main issue I would have taking notes on an iPad is editing w/o arrow keys feels awkward, but you could get used to it. With the right app, I can see the iPad being a great device for you, but until that app arrives, a netbook is better and cheaper.
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Prospective iPad buyer: iPad vs Netbook
- Thread starter Djombo
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I've got the iPad and an Asus 1000HE netbook, and I even went to grad school 
For your needs I'd go with netbook because, while you could pull off a lot with the iPad, you'd need to bring around other hardware like a keyboard, and because of the closed ecosystem of the iPad you'd need to find hoops and other solutions to do things that would be basic on the netbook.
If you're in school, organizing your information is going to be important and an actual file system is going to be far better than the solutions on an iPad. In addition, backing up your research is far easier with a netbook, and you're definitely going to want to have several layers of backed up data. Being able to simply plug in a thumbdrive on a moments notice to either backup, or to transfer files between you and fellow students/teachers/whatever is something that you just can't do with an iPad.
The Asus I have gives me 9 hours of battery life, so in terms of the portability without wires they are basically the same thing. It doesn't have an instant on feature, but if you were to get a solid state drive netbook then you could keep it in sleep mode while carrying it. Mine is a regular drive, so I would need to turn the computer on and off when moving on to other locations to avoid the hard drive getting screwed up.
Honestly, I wouldn't worry about how you look if you pulled out an iPad vs a netbook. Getting the work done and being professional is going to be what people really care about.
For your needs I'd go with netbook because, while you could pull off a lot with the iPad, you'd need to bring around other hardware like a keyboard, and because of the closed ecosystem of the iPad you'd need to find hoops and other solutions to do things that would be basic on the netbook.
If you're in school, organizing your information is going to be important and an actual file system is going to be far better than the solutions on an iPad. In addition, backing up your research is far easier with a netbook, and you're definitely going to want to have several layers of backed up data. Being able to simply plug in a thumbdrive on a moments notice to either backup, or to transfer files between you and fellow students/teachers/whatever is something that you just can't do with an iPad.
The Asus I have gives me 9 hours of battery life, so in terms of the portability without wires they are basically the same thing. It doesn't have an instant on feature, but if you were to get a solid state drive netbook then you could keep it in sleep mode while carrying it. Mine is a regular drive, so I would need to turn the computer on and off when moving on to other locations to avoid the hard drive getting screwed up.
Honestly, I wouldn't worry about how you look if you pulled out an iPad vs a netbook. Getting the work done and being professional is going to be what people really care about.
Having some more thought on this I think you should completely throw out the netbook from the equation. You really will not get any work done on it.
I have to write lots of reports, and some years ago I got a Fujitsu P1610, a really sweet tiny (netbook size) convertible tablet that I paid 2500 or so for back then. Problem was I never did use it much as I found the keyboard was too small, the screen was too small, the battery life sucked. The only decent thing was the stylus writing, but I didn't really need that. Lesson learned was a full size laptop is the way to go with a lot of writing.
With that said you should look at the thinnest lightest ones you can find. I believe EeePC is coming out with a very thin and light laptop and they are the kings of cheap laptops. I'm sure there are other Macbook Air copiers out there for cheap as well. Once I got my Macbook Air I NEVER looked back, I can carry that thing anywhere and it doesn't bother me in the least, in fact it's more portable than a netbook IMO because it's thinner and easier to hold.
The ipad holds a different function and when I leave the house with the ipad instead of the Air I have a completely different mindset and different work goals/personal needs for that day.
I have to write lots of reports, and some years ago I got a Fujitsu P1610, a really sweet tiny (netbook size) convertible tablet that I paid 2500 or so for back then. Problem was I never did use it much as I found the keyboard was too small, the screen was too small, the battery life sucked. The only decent thing was the stylus writing, but I didn't really need that. Lesson learned was a full size laptop is the way to go with a lot of writing.
With that said you should look at the thinnest lightest ones you can find. I believe EeePC is coming out with a very thin and light laptop and they are the kings of cheap laptops. I'm sure there are other Macbook Air copiers out there for cheap as well. Once I got my Macbook Air I NEVER looked back, I can carry that thing anywhere and it doesn't bother me in the least, in fact it's more portable than a netbook IMO because it's thinner and easier to hold.
The ipad holds a different function and when I leave the house with the ipad instead of the Air I have a completely different mindset and different work goals/personal needs for that day.
Keep in mind there are some nice netbooks with 11" screens with dual core CPUs. I have an Acer 1410 with a Celeron dual core SU2300 and it works very well, and has a full size keyboard. Just make sure you double check that the unit you are looking at does have a dual-core CPU.. some models have a single-core Celeron or Pentium.
I know the typical view on netbooks is they have bad keyboards and poor performance, that isn't always the case. Also consider the ASUS UL20A-A1.
i am considering an iPad just because I wonder why I need two notebooks (I also have a 13" MBP), but it sounds like an 11" netbook would be good for you.
I know the typical view on netbooks is they have bad keyboards and poor performance, that isn't always the case. Also consider the ASUS UL20A-A1.
i am considering an iPad just because I wonder why I need two notebooks (I also have a 13" MBP), but it sounds like an 11" netbook would be good for you.
This bears repeating. The iPad is great for some things, but you're going to hate taking notes on it. And netbooks just suck in general, crappy screen and crappy OS that's too bloated for the crappy processor, unless you can't afford a decent laptop, or the one you can afford is too heavy.
I don't expect to need to reference anything or do any sort of heavy work at all on whatever I buy. Like I said, I have an iMac for real work and a macbook for any time I'd find myself in a hotel or on break. The iPad or netbook would be exclusively for class notes and web browsing. That's why I feel like the addition of apps makes the iPad more useful than a netbook. I could be spending $300 on something I use ONLY in the classroom or on a train, or $500 on something I can find a use for anywhere.
Also, thanks for the thought out responses everyone. I know topics like this have come up before, and my situation isn't as unique as I think it is, but it's great to get other opinions. I will admit I'm fishing for reasons to get an iPad, but right now (as with all Apple products) the most compelling argument against it is price, and sometimes quality can overcome that hurdle. I just don't have enough experience with either type of device to determine whether that's the case here.
I would GLADLY carry a keyboard + iPad over a netbook for heavy note taking days.
Netbooks are slow and clunky. I owned an hp mini with 4GB ram and a SSD and it was still not meeting my needs. I then erased windows and loaded Ubuntu (a less junky OS) and it was better. Still, it did not meet my needs.
I would not, however, choose my iPad over my macbook pro even though I am using my iPad 80% more. But when I need serious work done, obviously I'm on my MBP.
Netbooks are slow and clunky. I owned an hp mini with 4GB ram and a SSD and it was still not meeting my needs. I then erased windows and loaded Ubuntu (a less junky OS) and it was better. Still, it did not meet my needs.
I would not, however, choose my iPad over my macbook pro even though I am using my iPad 80% more. But when I need serious work done, obviously I'm on my MBP.
Is the iPad a unique and useful enough product to warrant the extra $200 and memory downgrade?
Thanks in advance for any useful and intelligent responses, though I expect this forum to be at least a little biased
I have 2 netbooks, both from Dell.A Mini9 running OSX 10.6.3 and a Mini10v (the 'v' is important, the Mini10 can't run OSX and the memory cannot be field upgraded) dual booting with Win7 and OSX 10.6.3.
The Mini9 does not have a standard keyboard, a tradeoff for being small. There's no way I'd recommend it to anyone who has to type a lot.
The Mini10v has a standard QWERTY keyboard, just a little smaller (can't recall the percentage), all the keys are in the 'right place'.
I upgraded the Mini10v with a 500 gig drive and another gig of memory, for a total of 2 gigs (the max). It runs Win7 Pro and Office2007 just fine. With the extended battery, it lasts 3 - 4 hours. No where near what an iPad does, but then it's a 'real' netbook, with a file system you can access, etc.
The 10V also runs OSX 10.6.3 equally well, if that operating systems is what you want, however, running OSX requires individual customization using the Mini9 and Mini10v version of jailbreak.
Depends what and how you want to use the device. If a lot of your tying is into Office files, I'd opt for a netbook run a MS op sys. My guess is, the iPad will run at least as fast, if not faster, even with less memory, compared to a netbook. IMO, it comes down to what applications you want to use in class and what applications you need to talk to outside of class.