It was surprising news that the Apple iPad, soon after its launch, was already affecting Netbook sales all over the world. This, of course, came unprecedentedly to Netbook laptop manufacturers, who were confident that Steve Jobs’ latest creation would cater to an entirely different market. And now that the iPad has killed the Netbook, everyone is scrambling to come up with something that would, in turn, prove to be a worthy rival of the Apple iPad.

But some techies will tell you not to dismiss the powers of the Netbook laptop this easily. This Windows laptop, after all, still has a few tricks up its sleeves. We’ve gathered all the information you’ll need to know if you’re trying to decide whether to jump in the bandwagon and get the Apple iPad or stay with the tried and tested Netbook. Read on to find out more about this interesting battle.

The Pros of the Apple iPad

True to its mother company (Apple), the iPad boasts of clean, beautiful lines and a sleek body that certainly adds cool points to your personality if you carry one around. It is thinner and lighter than most Netbooks, weighing a mere 1.5 pounds. Another Apple trademark is the ease of use and seamless interface of its products, and the iPad ranks high on those features. Use your finger to open apps, browse the Internet and even zoom in on photos. Browsing is painless and a joy to do, with Safari’s many features and the iPad’s 1024 x 768 resolution screen. Applications and games are affordable and can provide you with hours of entertainment, be it movies and music videos or RTS games and eBooks. Its 10-hour battery life also ensures that you will always be entertained, even during a very long flight.

The Cons of the Apple iPad

Since the Apple iPad is a tablet computer, you’d have a difficult time using it as you would a laptop. Typing documents on the fly can be frustrating, since you’d have to balance the iPad on your lap and make do with trying to get a sentence straight by tapping on its screen. You can buy a keyboard dock but that will cost you an extra . Its lack of Flash support will also be a disappointment if you like catching up on your favorite TV shows on the Hulu or ABC sites. Oh, and did we mention that the iPad doesn’t have USB ports nor cameras?

The Pros of Netbooks

Prior to introducing the iPad to the world, Steve Jobs made a bold comment, saying that Netbooks “aren’t good at anything.” Well, for once, Steve Jobs is dead wrong. With web cameras, Flash support and USB ports, Netbooks win the round when it comes to versatility and function. Some Netbook laptops even have built-in memory card readers and even a VGA port to connect to external displays. A Netbook laptop is also easier to type on and can support different types of Internet browsers. Most Netbooks are also cheaper than the Apple iPad.

The Cons of Netbooks

The Apple iPad runs away with the multimedia and entertainment prize, of course. With more than a hundred applications and games available for the iPad, the Netbook laptop is having a hard time competing in this field. Netbooks also have shorter battery lives than the iPad, although some Netbooks have come close, with batteries that lasted 8 hours.

It seems like a close fight, but in reality, these two devices are built for two different sets of needs. Choose the Apple iPad if you’re buying a laptop or device solely for the entertainment and flash value. Otherwise, stick to the Netbook laptop if you want a productive laptop that won’t break your budget for your daily computing needs.