* The iPad battery is fixed and irreplaceable. You cannot replace the iPad battery on your own. On the other hand, you can not only replace the batteries in a netbook, but also upgrade the three-cell battery to a six-cell battery or more.

* The iPad doesn’t support all web technologies. Steve Jobs promised “the best Web experience”. However, the iPad doesn’t support browser based apps and flash. There are many websites which do not work on the iPad. This is something that netbooks fare much better in.

* The iPad doesn’t come with a physical keyboard. The on-screen touch-based keyboard is definitely not a substitute for a physical keyboard especially when you have a lot of text to type. The iPad has a dock for interfacing a keyboard, but this means spending more money for the user.

* You cannot install additional software on the iPad from CDs or USB drives. On the other hand, netbook users can download and install a number of software from the Internet or from CDs and USB drives. Netbooks run either Windows or Linux, both having a plethora of software applications.

* The iPad has no USB ports. If you want to connect a printer or a camera to the iPad, you will need an adapter (more money!). However, most netbooks has at least 2 USB ports.

* The iPad has only 64GB of storage. Most netbooks come with 160GB as the standard. More storage means more documents, audio and video files, etc. can be stored on the computer.

* The iPad doesn’t have a camera. This means, you can’t use the iPad for video chatting. On the other hand, most netbooks comes with a web cam.

* Upgrades: You can upgrade the RAM in your netbook. No scope for upgrading the RAM in the iPad .

Specifications:

General

* Built-in Devices Stereo speakers , Wireless LAN antenna
* Width 10.3 in
* Depth 7 in
* Height 1.5 in
* Weight 2.8 lbs
* Color Royal blue
* Notebook type Netbook , Budget
* Screen type Widescreen
* Wireless capabilities IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11g , IEEE 802.11 n (draft) , Bluetooth

Processor

* Processor Intel ATOM N280 / 1.66 GHz
* Data Bus Speed 667 MHz
* Chipset Type Intel 945GSE Express

Cache Memory

* Type L2 cache
* Cache size 512 KB

RAM

* Installed Size 1024 MB
* Technology DDR II SODIMM
* RAM form factor SO DIMM 200-pin

Storage

* Floppy Drive None
* Hard Drive 160 GB – 5400 rpm
* Storage Removable None
* Hard drive type Standard

Optical Storage

* Type None

Optical Storage (2nd)

* 2nd optical storage type None

Card Reader

* Card reader type Card reader
* Supported flash memory cards MultiMediaCard , SD Memory Card , SDHC Memory Card

Display

* Display Type 10.1 in TFT active matrix
* Max Resolution 1024 x 600 ( WSVGA )
* Widescreen Display Yes
* Features LED-backlit

Video

* Graphics Processor / Vendor Intel GMA 950 Shared video memory (UMA)

Audio

* Audio output type Sound card
* Audio output compliant standards High Definition Audio
* Audio Input Microphone

Notebook Camera

* Camera Type Integrated
* Sensor Resolution 1.3 Megapixel

Input Device(s)

* Input device type Keyboard , Touchpad
* Features Multi-touch technology

Networking

* Networking Network adapter – Bluetooth
* Networking / Wireless LAN Supported Yes
* Data link protocol Ethernet , IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11g , Fast Ethernet , Bluetooth 2.1 EDR , IEEE 802.11n (draft)
* Networking standards Bluetooth 2.1

Expansion / Connectivity

* Expansion Slots Total (Free) Memory – SO DIMM 200-pin
* Interfaces 3 x Hi-Speed USB – 4 pin USB Type A , 1 x Display / video – VGA – 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15) , 1 x Headphones – Output – Mini-phone 3.5 mm , 1 x Microphone – Input – Mini-phone 3.5 mm , 1 x Network – Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX – RJ-45

Miscellaneous

* Features 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN , Bluetooth 2.1 , Camera

Battery

* Technology 6-cell Lithium ion
* Installed Qty 1 / 1 (max)
* Battery capacity 63 Wh
* Mfr estimated battery life 10.5 hour(s)

Operating System / Software

* OS Provided Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
* Software Drivers & Utilities , Microsoft Office Home & Student 2007

Samsung N140 Netbook with Windows 7 OS

The new Samsung N140 is a 10.1-inch display netbook powered by the Intel Atom N280 Processor and pre-loaded with the latest Windows 7 OS.

Technical specifications:

* 10.1-inch LED Backlit Display
* Intel Atom N280 Processor (1.66GHz)
* Digital Motion Camera
* 6 Cell Battery (provides up to 11 hours of backup)
* 1GB 667MHz RAM
* 250GB Hard Disk Drive
* SRS WOW Sound Effect
* Operating system–Genuine Windows 7
* weight–1.27 kg

The Samsung N140 comes with 1 year Pickup ‘N’ Drop warranty in India.

Price in India: Rs.24,000 onwards.

The tablet computer prototypes would be demonstrated on January 7-10 at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The device looks similar to an ebook reader and comes with a 7-inch touchscreen and an optional keyboard. The device will use an ARM processor.

The device will be priced at around $200 with only a Wi-Fi connection. Adding support for wireless carriers’ 3G networks would add from $50 to $75.

Freescale Semiconductor believes the device will be more appealing than netbooks to the younger generation who need a device that can connect to the Internet quickly to surf and to access social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and also play light games.