Van Pools Blog

When it comes to connectivity on the road – or in your van – the traditional laptop can be about as convenient as lugging around an old HAM radio system. Lightweight tablets, such as the iPad, and mini-laptops known as netbooks are rapidly replacing laptops because they pack a lot of processing power and browsing capability into a compact unit.

With a number of people in our office split between iPads and netbooks, it’s clear each offers specific strengths, conveniences and advantages. So, we’ve drawn up a quick list of the primary features and considerations with both types of these compact computers, which may help you determine the best one of your needs.

Cost: Prices can vary among online and other retail outlets so we did all of our comparison shopping on Amazon.com. We found a first-generation iPad with only a 16-gig hard drive for as little as $400, while the newer iPad 2 with a 64-gig memory starts at about $750. When it came to netbooks, there were many more choices, but the Dell Inspiron Mini was representative of the field. With its 250-gig hard drive, it cost only $280. Advantage: Netbook.
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