The question many people have today is whether it is worth buying an Apple iPad or go with a netbook, notebook or laptop as their computing device. That is a choice worthy of a lot of consideration even though the iPad is selling very well right now. From my point of view, it would seem that the loss of computing power by choosing the iPad over a computer would make a real difference. Many people, however, like the portability and ease of use of the less functional iPad. My using the words less functional may make the iPad seem inferior but it's really a matter of how much you want out of a computing device. I will make my point by making a few comparisons.
Starting with the size and weight of the iPad compared to a netbook, the 1.5 pound tablet has a definite advantage. The 9.7" screen is fine, but still smaller than the 10" plus screens of netbooks and notebooks.
Touchscreen Tablet Windows
The processing power of a netbook is only a little bigger for a netbook vs. the iPad. The 1GHz A4 is good enough to browse the internet and read e-books but not as versatile as a system with the Windows 7 operating system.
If you need a lot of storage then a 2.5" hard drive has an advantage over a 16GB static storage iPad. You also have the ability to change the hard drive as well as having additional USB ports to use.
The iPhone operating system versus Windows 7 works well with the iPad since Apple worked hard to tweak that system. No advantage with Windows 7.
The on screen keyboard for the iPad seems to be lacking in comfort, although the multi-touch screen is great to see in action. Nevertheless, a real keyboard is necessary for tactile feel especially if you do a lot of typing, like word processing for example.
The huge amount software available for the iPad through the Appstore seems very attractive at first blush. However, full length, installed software, is very important for people that demand multi-functionality from their machine.
It all seems to boil down to this: if you are looking to consume content like surfing the internet with an easy to use, highly portable device then the iPad is for you. On the other hand, if you want more functionality than surfing the internet and reading e-books, then you need to consider a slightly less portable netbook or notebook.