|  Note: I originally wrote this post for an article submission site, but it was declined saying it had readability errors. Do tell me your preference.
The iPad is the latest product from Apple, which is said to be the best experience for Web, Mail and Photos ever!
Though the iPad is said to be a bridge between smart phones and Laptops, it competes with net-books, that recently came into limelight. Now what might confuse a consumer is whether he should choose a netbook, or an iPad?
To start the comparison, we first take a netbook that matches the iPad's price range, and one such netbook is the Asus Eee PC 1201N, which is priced around 500$, similar to the iPad. The very first positive feature of the iPad is that it is a product from Apple. Apple designs it's products keeping consumers in mind, so even a 5 year old kid can get the most out of Apple products as they are not only easy to use, but beautiful too.
The Exterior Comparison
The iPad definitely wins in this. The iPad boasts an awesome design, slim and light body, and aluminium finish to make it all better. But the Asus 1210N doesn't halt back in this section too, as it has a glossy exterior finishing, multi-touch track pad, Chic let style keyboard and a slim form factor to top it all up. The iPad has a 10-inch screen while the Asus 1201N boasts a larger, 12-inch screen with a much higher resolution. The iPad's screen is prone to damage if kept brutally inside a back pack, unless you buy it's carry case, while the netbooks are almost immune to such damages, thanks to their exterior lid. But the iPad's screen is fingerprint resistant, while a netbook's screen can get all smudged up with fingerprints. But thinking on a practical basis, who would touch the screen of a netbook, unless it is touch operated?
The Software
The iPad runs on the revolutionary iPhone OS, which is not only one of the easiest to use operating system of all time, but also features a great application store filled with thousands of useful and enjoyable applications. On the other hand, the Asus 1201N runs Windows 7 Home Premium, which is the latest OS from Microsoft. Though Windows 7 is not very easy to use, you get several advantages over the iPad such as voice recognition, better 3rd party applications, Lots of customization, Multi-tasking, greater data processing, etc. So basically, if you want to do a lot more than surfing the web and checking your email, then you should opt for a netbook. Moreover, the iPad is dependent on a Mac or a PC for it's content like music, videos, pictures, etc. while the netbook is content independent.
The Capabilities
The iPad is not as much capable as Windows 7, especially when it comes to multi-tasking. And to make Media enjoyment easier, Windows 7 has Windows Media Center, which is a great interface for enjoying digital content, and gives the iPad a run for it's money. Moreover, the iPad can only play up to 720p HD videos, and that too have to be converted using a PC or Mac. While the Asus 1201N can play Full HD (1080p) videos, and also output them through it's in-built HDMI port. Though the netbooks are seriously more capable, they make all these processes much complicated for a consumer that just wants to use his device to do basic web surfing, have some fun, play games and stuff. That's where Apple strikes gold. Though Computer professionals should opt for netbooks, I would recommend the iPad to basic consumers who just want to get their work done easily and in style.
Other Comparisons
*The iPad has a much better battery stamina, compared to that of netbooks.
*The iPad uses a great battery-conscious standby mode, which makes the iPad available for use straight out of the box (unless you have turned it off), while netbooks need a minute or two to boot into Windows. Netbooks don't last for more than 16-20 hours on standby.
*The iPad has a maximum storage capacity of 64 GB, while you can easily get 500 GB of storage capacity on a netbook. But the speed of the storage medium on the iPad is much faster than that of the Hard disks used in netbooks.
*The iPad requires a 3G data SIM to access Internet if WiFi is not available, while netbooks can easily make use of USB modems and data cards in such a situation. Also, they are much more cheaper than the former.
So which one do you prefer?
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