I still think Netbooks are better than iPads. My Dell netbook hacked to run OSX lets me run the software I want to run (e.g. Firefox) that Apple won't let me run plus it has more ram, disk space and a full keyboard and mouse and cost 1/2 of what an iPad costs. I can run full versions of Microsoft Office and even Photoshop if I need to. I see zero advantage to an iPad over that other than perhaps specific Apps that were never ported over to OSX from iOS versions (i.e. a limitation of software incompatibility, not an advantage of the iPad itself per se, which really is just a touch-screen hardware limited platform with limited software). Of course, I'm only trying to do so much with it and I only expect so much with it for only $280. Even so, I can run software no iPad on Earth can run and much of it runs reasonably well, especially for the price. I can take that Netbook on vacation without worrying about dropping it or it getting stolen like I would a $2k MBP.
The reason the "experience" is touted as better on an iPad by many people is the same reason gaming is touted as better by people who have Playstations. The software is created only for that platform and this leads to software that run WELL on that limited platform as opposed to desktop software that really expected more power to run right.
In other words, ultimately, the primary reason a Netbook "sucks" is that it's trying to run software that was designed for faster computers and so it feels "slow" while the iPad runs software that was designed to run on its limited power and so it feels "faster" when in reality, it's more of an illusion of power.
However, that is changing with newer iPads leaving older ones in the dust and unsupported, which I think will eventually start working against Apple in the long run since this is the very reason that video game consoles have such a LONG life-cycle; people want software that WORKS RIGHT on their system for a reasonable length of time and 1-year isn't very reasonable, IMO and yet that may be what it comes to, especially for things like games on iOS devices where we're already seeing games that take advantage of the current generation now working at all with the previous one; look at the Karateka thread for iPod 5G to see what I mean; the 4G sold just 6 months ago can't run it).
And while I like the iPod touch and iPhone because they fit in my pocket, an iPad takes up nearly as much room in a bag as a Netbook so they offer little advantage for portability. Windows8 tablets will double as Notebooks/Netbooks in addition to acting like tablets, so in some respects, I think that may have more to do with the death of the Netbook (which was never offered for OSX to begin with) than anything Apple did except to popularize the tablet in general (i.e. there are other tablets out there selling well now too; Apple does not live in a vacuum).
