iPads and Netbooks

I like my netbook a lot, and really wasn’t getting all that excited about the iPad.  I had a bit of a lightbulb moment when I realized that I wasn’t that excited because if I want an ultraportable wireless device, I want something that’s good for content creation, not something that’s only good for content consumption.

Now, Stephen Fry wrote a glowing piece on the iPad, admitting he was an Apple fanboy and all that smack.

I was surprised that he was that excited about the thing, to be frank with you.  The man’s an actor, a writer and what have you. He creates a lot more content than I do, just sayin’,  ‘Course, he also makes a lot more money than I do, so dropping $600 on something to view content probably doesn’t seem as absurd as it would for me[1].  If I made as much money as Mr. Fry, possibly I’d own an iPad right now.

But I doubt it.  Even the fact that you can read books on it wouldn’t quite be enough for me. Certainly, I’d own it over a Kindle.   Do I read Kindle-enabled books?  Yep, all the time.  I read ‘em on the PC software on my netbook.  Call me the Alton Brown of technology, but I’m not a big fan of a single-task device unless it’s really cheap or so astoundingly good at doing something I find necessary that I’m willing to own a single-task device.  I mean, even my MP3 player[2] doubles as my alarm clock!

I do think there’s a strong possibility that the demand for something cool for content consumption will kill off the demand for a small cheap computer, though.  And that rather depresses me, as the netbook was the computer I’d been waiting for since I was in my teens.


[1] Since dropping $600 solely to view content does seem absurd to me, I suppose that it’s obvious I still own a television that’s a CRT, too.

[2] Yes, it’s an iPod. 2nd gen Nano, in fact.

One Reply to “iPads and Netbooks”

  1. The Kindle is actually that much better than any other device I’ve ever seen. It is absolutely not for content creation, but the eInk screen and the incredible design make it the best device I’ve ever owned.

    The iPad would probably make my eyes feel tired – by the time I’m in content-consumption mode I want out of the glare.
    YMWV.

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