I would rather have a netbook than iPad. The iPad keyboard doesn't seem like a replacement to the netbook keyboard. There is no easy way to type without looking on a touchscreen. Plus the netbook is way cheaper and has more features, like running flash apps and being able to run more than one program at a time. The iPad seems like the worst parts of a netbook and iPhone. Unlike the iPhone, it is too big to put in your pocket. It doesn't have a dedicated keyboard like a netbook does. Imagine talking on the iPad. It also has no stylus, so there goes the drawing/art possibilities. It is too big to game on for extended amounts of time and too heavy. It doesn't have any killer features. It has no expandability (SD card). I think Apple fell off the wagon on this one, it will be like the Apple TV, a nice concept but not a real game changer. It is really funny how Steve already talks about the iPad as if it has become successful. I hope this isn't another MacBook Air, Apple TV, iPod Hifi flop.
If you want the features of stripped down laptop then buy a netbook, no one is stopping you!
However, if you're looking for a machine that you can use in a tight area, such as a plane, or a device that you can use with one hand while lying down then the iPad is for you.
Last week I was flying first class and all I was trying to do was watch a movie on MacBook Pro and the guy in front of me put his seat back and basically closed my computer. Have you ever sat in an aisle seat on a plane and broke out your laptop and then the person next to you needs to go to the bathroom? It sucks! No think what it would be like with an iPad.
And don't give me that it doesn't have a keyboard crap....Have you seen how small Apple's BlueTooth keyboard is? That will easily fit in my existing computer back with an iPad and take up less room than most netbooks.
It doesn't have any killer features? Are you kidding?
And as a Flash developer (since Flash 3), all I can say is good riddance. I've never seen a piece of software get worst with every release.
No stylus? Really? You don't think that some one won't come out with a stylus (if there is a demand for one) for this? I heard the same stylus complaint with the iPhone and guess what, there was no demand, because it wasn't necessary. Have you ever seen or used Brushes on the iPhone? My brother who is an artist, has created some amazing artwork on the iPhone using just his finger tips. I can only imagine what he'll do with Brushes on an iPad.
But remember the iPad is not meant to be a replacement for a netbook. It's a different type of device. I thinking about getting a couple and mounting them on the walls in my house (one in the kitchen, one in the living room and one in my garage). I mean seriously they're that cheap.
Would I ever buy a netbook? No, I think they're all cheap (the only one I would consider is a MacBook Air, which isn't even considered one) and I've never used one that I liked (biggest draw back is the keyboard). But again that's just me.
