Will the iPad Kill the Netbook?
by Todd
(Boston)
Now that the iPad is out, and manufacturers are planning on releasing new devices to compete with it, I can't help but think about whether or not the netbook category can survive?
As many people have discussed, including Steve Jobs when he first showed off the iPad, the netbook is the worst of all worlds. It doesn't do anything better than other devices it's meant to mimic. It's a compromise on all fronts. The iPad is a new category that maybe is a segment that the netbook was really meant to address?
Once the price of the Apple iPad or other competitor Table type devices comes down, will people really seek out netbook anymore? The only real advantage I can see is the keyboard on netbooks. Though I have to admit that I haven't had a chance to try out the iPad yet to see how typing is on it.
It really makes me wonder! Does anyone else feel the same way? Or do people see these as two different categories altogether? Either way, it's great to see innovation like this!
