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Original poster

Should I buy a net book or Ipad?

43 replies

flagging · 03/05/2011 18:15

I need to take a light laptop to Australia with me mainly to use to surf the net. But when we come back I will donate it to DCs so they can use it for very simple games (they are both under 10) and maybe homework on websites.

I love the look of the iPad but the netbooks seem so much cheaper and I already have an iphone.

So really need advice on what to go for?

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K999 · 03/05/2011 18:17

iPad....I bloody love mine! Perfect for surfing the net and my DDs play games on mine too!

K999 · 03/05/2011 18:18

I have an iPhone too and this put me off getting one but I am so glad I did! I also have loads of books on mine...

silverfrog · 03/05/2011 18:19

totally depends on what you want form it, ultimately.

ipad apps are great - loads of useful and fun games, educational and otherwise. very easy to use, intuitive, resonably hardwearing (my ASD 6 year old uses one with no problems and no mishap).

BUT if your dc are likely to need ot use websites with flash, (or if you do) then no good. can't use Flash with ipads.

netbooks are indeed cheaper. ipads are cooler, and more fun to use.

I am not sure I would travel with just an iPad, but then that scenario never arises - we always have dd1's iPad with us, but as she needs to use it a lot, then we take a laptop too. we often use the Ipad to quickly look up something - the instant-on, and ease of use mean it's a very useful holiday tool.

Original poster
flagging · 03/05/2011 20:06

I love the look of the ipads but I don't really want yet another contract. That's what is putting me off.

Do any of you know what a netbook actually is in relation to a laptop [dense emoticon]??

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BadgersPaws · 03/05/2011 23:18

"Do any of you know what a netbook actually is in relation to a lapto"

Netbooks are "generally" physically smaller, lacking a CD/DVD drive, come with less storage space and are less powerful than a laptop would be. They might also come with a cut down and easy to use Operating System rather than something fully featured like Windows.

However there are plenty of exceptions to that rule, for example you can easily get them with Windows 7 on now.

Generally for surfing, email and simple word processing they are generally adequate. However for anything more substantial than that you might want something with a bit more oomph.

FannyNil · 03/05/2011 23:24

I have a netbook Acer AspireOne. 'Tis great, using it right now! Bought in J Lewis (was cheapest at that time)

LawrieMarlow · 03/05/2011 23:28

Am also using my AcerAspireOne bought in John Lewis :)

Original poster
flagging · 04/05/2011 16:01

"Generally for surfing, email and simple word processing they are generally adequate. However for anything more substantial than that you might want something with a bit more oomph."

....so can you play games (i.e. Star Wars Lego) or do simple clip art stuff for kids homework???

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BadgersPaws · 04/05/2011 16:17

I wouldn't expect to do much if any gaming on a netbook.

A combination of an older game and one of the more powerful netbooks might just work out (you'd have to check the requirements of the game) might work OK but I wouldn't get one for gaming purposes.

MmeLindt · 04/05/2011 16:19

I would go for an iPad.

There are so many games that you can download free on the iPad, it is very easy to use.

5GoMadOnAZ650 · 04/05/2011 20:58

I'm posting from my iPad that I got yesterday and I'm in love with it already, I would recommend it completely :)

generalhaig · 04/05/2011 21:56

where is my ipad??? dh got me one for my birthday :) when he ordered it, the website said it would take a week, but when he got the order confirmation email it said it would be with me by May 17th Angry

cowboylover · 04/05/2011 22:02

I love my iPad! DH bought it as my giving birth prezzie so I have someothing to play with when I am on the sofa waiting for something to happen Grin

I think its more flexible than a netbook as you can use the different apps ect and you dont get this with a netbook also not suitable for any gaming ect.

We dont have the 3G one just the Wifi so we dont have a contract with it and there are so many free wifi hotspots and mainly for home use it was not worth it for us.

Original poster
flagging · 06/05/2011 15:35

I wen tto look at them yesterday and I must say I did like the look of the ipad v much!

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MoreBeta · 06/05/2011 15:51

Funnly enough m just listening to a US news channel reporting on te death of netbooks. Effectively, they have been crushed between laptops for high end users that need raw power and Ipad type devices.

Personally, I would go for something like a decent Android device that you can surf the net with. I have a friend that has a Samsung Galaxy Tab. It is a tablet computer that has a decent sized screen that yu controlby touching it and is really useable for web browsing and a bit of typing and viewing documents on. I used it for 10 minutes and totally fell for it.

Then just buy DD a really cheap laptop (about £400) with a bit more power when you get back home.

Original poster
flagging · 08/05/2011 11:09

Well we have a desktop on its last legs and a good laptop (using now). Need to get the kids off the laptop but also need something transportable. Apparently only one retailer int he Uk even has the iPad in at the moment. I'll look at the Samsung.

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5GoMadOnAZ650 · 10/05/2011 12:07

The Applestore are very quick qt the moment, I ordered my iPad2 with engraving the Thursday before the royal wedding and received it 10am tuesday which considering both Friday and Monday were bank holidays I thought it was impressive!

slhilly · 10/05/2011 12:23

I'd be really very extremely wary of the Samsung Tab (or Motorola Xoom or similar). iPads are fab because they have tightly integrated software and hardware so that the user experience is slick. They have had the advantage of about five years' additional R&D into making them as good as they are, compared with the Tab and other devices...

Ryoko · 10/05/2011 12:33

Errm you do know that Samsung have been making Tablet PCs for over 20 years don't you? (22 to be exact).

slhilly · 10/05/2011 15:07

Yes, I do. And they are nothing like the Samsung Galaxy and there's no material crossover benefit from the R&D invested into Tablet PCs. Bear in mind that iOS was good-to-go almost from the outset on the iPad. By comparison, Tablet PCs ran various flavours of Windows and the Galaxy runs Android (which is still quite a way from being feature-complete...)

generalhaig · 10/05/2011 17:01

"The Applestore are very quick qt the moment"

not in my experience :( dh ordered my birthday ipad on 23rd April with a promise of 1-2 weeks delivery - I just (yesterday) got an email to say it'd been despatched and should be delivered on 18th May!!!

Ryoko · 11/05/2011 12:32

But they have many years of hardware experience, which is what I thought you where implying about.

Something that is capable of running a verity of OS is better IMO then something that is stuck on one dedicated one, I own no Apple devices I do not approve of them on so many levels. (before you ask).

1: I think they are over priced considering the specs of the things you are paying for the brand name.
2: the aforementioned being locked into a single OS.
3: being locked into the Applestore to buy stuff so you have no choice to shop around.
4: They are built at Fox Conn and I do try to avoid anything they make as much as I can since the days of Xbox (the first Xbox).

slhilly · 11/05/2011 13:45

ryoko, this feels like a bit of a thread-hijack focusing on Apple vs other products more generally.

If we focus back on the iPad, which is what this thread is about:

  1. No-one has come close to the iPad in terms of overall value, of which spec is only one component. There have been many speculations as to why this is, ranging from scale economies to pre-purchasing of vital components to the Apple store network dramatically cutting the margins that Apple has to pay over to re-sellers cf other tablet manufacturers, but whatever the cause, the fact remains that no-one is producing a tablet that delivers a similar combination of build quality, features that consumers really value, and tight hardware / software integration that ensures responsiveness, intuitiveness and feature-availability. The Galaxy tab in particular, doesn't do it. See, for example:
gizmodo.com/5686161/samsung-galaxy-tab-review-a-pocketable-train-wreck
  1. Sure, lots of people don't like vendor lock-in. Orders of magnitudes more people are not that fussed, because the benefits of vendor lock-in are substantial as well: ready access to a huge range of useful apps that are not going to crash your iPad, ready access to a ton of content via iTunes, tight integration of hardware and software
  1. See 2.
  1. Fair enough. When you find an ethically-sourced tablet with a robust supply chain audit, let us know.
Ryoko · 11/05/2011 14:03

A netbook is a better thing to have because it's general use, you can use it to buy things from where ever you like and put different OS' on it, it has a much wider range of uses after the holiday and can be passed around to be used for many things over the years, making it better value for money over time.

The thread isn't about ipad it's about going on a holiday wanting something to surf with that can then be used by the kids, (or kept and used for something else).

Original poster
flagging · 11/05/2011 14:35

ryoko - am OP. Have just received my vouchers from Currys and am ready to go buy ipad or netbook. What do you mean that the netbook has a wider range of uses? I was beginning to get the impressiont hat netbooks were abit redundant?? Confused

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