Netbook, notebook or iPad. . .oh my!

[krisandpaula]

I'm trying to decide on which of these will be best for us for this school year. We like to take school on the road, to a museum, to a park, to Daddy's office, etc. and I'm trying to plan the upcoming year with portability as a priority. Keep in mind that I do have a desktop with LOADS of storage space, so when it comes to photos/music etc., I will use it. My list of requirements are:

 

1) portability (I need something that will fit in my backpack and not weigh 6 pounds!)

2) viewing MUS and other lesson dvds

3) websurfing for additional information (internet-linked encyclopedias, Nasa, etc.) and email.

4) basic educational games like ETCOnline, SpellingCity, etc. (No real 'gaming' in our house yet!)

5) Discovery streaming (I'm just about ready to hit the buy button on this one!)

6) use as a reader, maybe? I haven't gone down this road yet, but it interests me, especially since so much is now available in eBook format. I do like to have a touchy-feely relationship with my books, but I'm not opposed to change, especially with portability in mind.

 

I don't really know anything about the iPad except that it looks cool. :001_smile: Is it possible to load dvd's onto one through an external hard drive or connection to my pc? The current model doesn't have a USB, right? The lack of dvd player in the iPad and most netbooks is concerning for this reason. And what about Apps? Are there enough educational apps now to make this another viable consideration?

 

Also, price is a definite consideration. I have $55.00 in rewards dollars from Best Buy that I would like to use toward the purchase unless I can find the one I decide on for more than $55.00 cheaper somewhere else! :o) It seems like there are usually a lot of good prices during the Back to School sales, so I'm trying to make this purchase soon because of that. Thanks for your insight.

[Charles Wallace]

I'm trying to decide on which of these will be best for us for this school year. We like to take school on the road, to a museum, to a park, to Daddy's office, etc. and I'm trying to plan the upcoming year with portability as a priority. Keep in mind that I do have a desktop with LOADS of storage space, so when it comes to photos/music etc., I will use it. My list of requirements are:

 

1) portability (I need something that will fit in my backpack and not weigh 6 pounds!)

2) viewing MUS and other lesson dvds

3) websurfing for additional information (internet-linked encyclopedias, Nasa, etc.) and email.

4) basic educational games like ETCOnline, SpellingCity, etc. (No real 'gaming' in our house yet!)

5) Discovery streaming (I'm just about ready to hit the buy button on this one!)

6) use as a reader, maybe? I haven't gone down this road yet, but it interests me, especially since so much is now available in eBook format. I do like to have a touchy-feely relationship with my books, but I'm not opposed to change, especially with portability in mind.

 

I don't really know anything about the iPad except that it looks cool. :001_smile: Is it possible to load dvd's onto one through an external hard drive or connection to my pc? The current model doesn't have a USB, right? The lack of dvd player in the iPad and most netbooks is concerning for this reason. And what about Apps? Are there enough educational apps now to make this another viable consideration?

 

Also, price is a definite consideration. I have $55.00 in rewards dollars from Best Buy that I would like to use toward the purchase unless I can find the one I decide on for more than $55.00 cheaper somewhere else! :o) It seems like there are usually a lot of good prices during the Back to School sales, so I'm trying to make this purchase soon because of that. Thanks for your insight.

 

DO. NOT. get an Acer netbook unless you want to wait for fifteen minutes (LITERALLY) for the computer to power up and be ready to surf the Internet, be agonizingly slow uploading pages, and distort all sound that comes through it because (again) it's slow.

 

Most netbooks would not be what you want because they don't have DVD playing capabilities. Nor does the iPad, if memory serves.

[abrightmom]

:lurk5: We are looking into the same options and have the same questions . . . would especially love to hear from iPad users and how their iPad is used in the context of "homeschooling". I'm :bigear:.

[Jilly]

I love my iPad, but as you said you cannot play DVDs on it. You could probably upload the DVD to iTunes and then transfer it to the ipad. Also it cannot play any games that requires flash, so some of the online things you would want to do is out. It is a great reader, and we use it a good deal for that. And then there are the educational apps, which I think are great. My son is enjoying Math Ninja right now, and he thought he was doing no school this summer. ;)

[WishboneDawn]

If you want to view DVD's then don't bother with a netbook. They generally don't have optical drives of any sort so you'd have to either buy an external drive which brings it up to the price of a cheap notebook or learn how to rip DVDs, transfer them to your computer and mount them on a virtual drive...Big pain in the patootie. The other big problem with netbooks is one Charles Wallace hinted at. They're generally not simply underpowered but pre-loaded with Windows 7 which often slows them down to a crawl. If I ever had one I'd be wiping it and installing an idiot-friendly version of Linux like Ubuntu.

 

An iPad looks cool but if price is a consideration I wouldn't bother. You're basically buying a netbook with a touch screen and the Apple logo. It's got most of the same failings as a netbook in terms of a small hard drive and lack of an optical drive.

 

 

Honestly, I think you'd do really well to go into Best Buy and pick up a Toshiba from their clearance or sale section for $350 to $500. For what you want any basic laptop will perform very well. Toshiba is generally pretty trouble free. Dell would be another option but a little pricier. Even an Acer.

 

The only way a laptop would fail you might be in terms of a reader but frankly an iPad simply wouldn't meet some of your more important requirements and for the money you'd pay for a (relatively) decently equipped iPad, especially by the time you kitted it out with an external DVD drive you could go buy a reader to keep you happy while the kids are on the laptop.

[Satori]

We have (or have had) all of these, being a techy family. After our main desktop, hands down our favorite is the iPad.

 

It does have its drawbacks. The iPad doesn't play DVDs or Flash websites like BrainPop. I very much doubt it would play Discovery Streaming, we have that service and it plays using 2-3 different applications, none of which I think would play on iPad. We had a very small netbook for awhile, but never used it and sold it to my mom. We didn't like the small screen and it was it actually heavier/bulkier than we thought it was going to be. The screen and resolution didn't allow enough of a browser on it. The bigger laptop we only use on vacation (along with the iPad). So that leaves a big desktop that we use all the time and the iPad that we have fallen in love with.

 

Of the 3 things you mentioned, the iPad won for us. Plus the screen is just the perfect size for such a little device. It's easy to browse and manipulate. We love it as a homeschooling tool. I'm trying to get as much of our curriculum as possible on it, so we can homeschool while traveling. There is a BrainPop app, but it's limited. There are tons of educational apps that we're having fun with. It's instantly on (we usually just keep it on), so at the click of a button it's on.

 

There's a thread on how somewhere with iPad educational apps. There's so many being released everyday even.

Edited July 16, 2010 by Satori

[ChrissySC]

Cheap notebook over netbook any day. I am in IT. I dislike them for anything other than net surfing. I find I would rather carry a flash drive or print out what I need versus the netbook use65. I agree with a poster above about the iPad. Glorified netbook with touchscreen, but includes all of the drawbacks. Remember the netbook is intended for net surfing. Thus, it has "net" in its name. The netbook purpose is not to substitue a laptop or act like a laptop.

 

HTH :D

[Jilly]

... and the iPad that we have fallen in love with. For portability, the iPad won for us.

 

We love it as a homeschooling tool. I'm trying to get as much of our curriculum as possible on it, so we can homeschool while traveling.

 

:iagree:

 

I agree that the iPad is a wonderful homeschooling tool. Between the apps, itunes U, and podcasts I have found so much great material for my kids.

 

Has anyone seen this?

 

http://www.ck12.org/flexr/

 

Textbooks available for the iPad. This is this kind of thing that gets me excited.

[ClassicalTwins]

Cheap notebook over netbook any day. I am in IT. I dislike them for anything other than net surfing. I find I would rather carry a flash drive or print out what I need versus the netbook use65. I agree with a poster above about the iPad. Glorified netbook with touchscreen, but includes all of the drawbacks. Remember the netbook is intended for net surfing. Thus, it has "net" in its name. The netbook purpose is not to substitue a laptop or act like a laptop.

 

HTH :D

 

We even tried to watch movies through Itunes on a netbook and that did not work. They are not worth trouble. Ipad can not print, if that is an issue and I've been told you can not plug peripherals (mouse) into them.

[skueppers]

Well, I own a netbook and a notebook, as well as an iPhone and an iPod Touch. I also have a close friend who owns an iPad, so I think I can comment on all of these options.

 

If you can find a notebook that meets your size requirements, it's probably your best bet. Neither the netbook nor the iPad will have an optical drive, and the iPad won't run Flash. Transferring your DVD's so they could be used on the netbook or the iPad is kind of a pain, though it is possible. Not being able to use Flash prevents you from using some educational websites and games. Also, the screen resolution on many netbooks means that web sites can be harder to use on a netbook than on a regular notebook.

 

The iPad is the best e-reader of the devices you mentioned, but that was low on your priority list.

 

I love my netbook, I love my iPhone, the kids use the iPod Touch all the time (quite simillar in functionality to the iPad, though of course a smaller screen). All of these products have plenty of educational value. But a regular notebook still wins if your needs are more complex than these devices can handle.

[distancia]

I have a netbook, my husband has one, and my daughter has one. We also have 2 laptops. No iPads, don't want one (lack of flash a definite minus).

 

We all LOVE our netbooks. They are so light we can curl up with them in a chair or on our beds. Can't do that with a laptop!

 

Here is how to overcome the lack of a DVD drive: you just take your DVDs and "load" them onto your netbook hard drive. You can do this easily through you main computer at home and a USB cable. That way you aren't carrying the DVDs around with you.

 

My D's netbook weights 2.6 pounds. That is LIGHT. We have traveled all over the world with these netbooks, even rural Nicaragua and Guatemala and the Andes of Peru.

 

My D is taking a slew of online college courses--some of which require DVDs, and she loaded the DVDs onto her hard drive and now goes off to Starbucks or the library or the local cafe and sits there and does her schoolwork. Portability.

 

About the operating software: just don't get a netbook with Winbdows 7, or strip it off and load it with Linux or Ubuntu. Or Win XP home (you can find it cheap cheap on eBay). Also, most of the netbooks are now sold with 2GB/250 hard drive so speed is not a problem.

 

Good luck.

[Spy Car]

I'm trying to decide on which of these will be best for us for this school year. We like to take school on the road, to a museum, to a park, to Daddy's office, etc. and I'm trying to plan the upcoming year with portability as a priority. Keep in mind that I do have a desktop with LOADS of storage space, so when it comes to photos/music etc., I will use it. My list of requirements are:

 

I'll limit my comments to iPad.

 

1) portability (I need something that will fit in my backpack and not weigh 6 pounds!)

 

The iPad is the most portable, comfortable and cool (in both senses of the word) device ever. So much nicer as a portable device than a "laptop" IMO.

 

2) viewing MUS and other lesson dvds

 

The iPad has a beautiful screen for viewing video. But it doesn't have a DVD drive. To watch videos on the iPad you would need to rip the video and then load it on the iPad via iTunes. That's an extra step, so it is "doable" but not the ultimate in convenience. But if you plan ahead it would work,

 

3) websurfing for additional information (internet-linked encyclopedias, Nasa, etc.) and email.

 

The iPad is wonderful for web-surfing and email. The only downside (other than the lack of "arrow" keys if you need to do a lot of editing) is the lack of "Flash" support. Tisk, tisk, to Apple on that one. There is a "jailbreak" that gets around this limitation, but I'm risk averse.

 

4) basic educational games like ETCOnline, SpellingCity, etc. (No real 'gaming' in our house yet!)

 

There are a growing number of educational apps for the iPad, but most of the online (often free) ones are Flash based and don't work.

 

5) Discovery streaming (I'm just about ready to hit the buy button on this one!)

 

I don't know for sure, but I bet it is "Flash-based" and won't work (unless you jailbreak).

 

6) use as a reader, maybe? I haven't gone down this road yet, but it interests me, especially since so much is now available in eBook format. I do like to have a touchy-feely relationship with my books, but I'm not opposed to change, especially with portability in mind.

 

It is a great reader. And the fact that it is color is a huge plus in some cases. I've found it a huge plus for things like CSMP math (and their math readers) that rely on color. "Goodreader" handles PDFs wonderfully.

 

I don't really know anything about the iPad except that it looks cool. :001_smile: Is it possible to load dvd's onto one through an external hard drive or connection to my pc? The current model doesn't have a USB, right? The lack of dvd player in the iPad and most netbooks is concerning for this reason. And what about Apps? Are there enough educational apps now to make this another viable consideration?

 

Looks cool, is cool. You can load "ripped" DVDs via a PC. You can also stream video from a PC to the iPad over WiFi (pretty cool).

 

The iPad does have USB, one just needs to sync through iTunes to transfer files.

 

There are still plusses and minuses to the iPad...but I love ours!!!

 

Also, price is a definite consideration. I have $55.00 in rewards dollars from Best Buy that I would like to use toward the purchase unless I can find the one I decide on for more than $55.00 cheaper somewhere else! :o) It seems like there are usually a lot of good prices during the Back to School sales, so I'm trying to make this purchase soon because of that. Thanks for your insight.

 

The iPads are not cheap. We have one because my son won a raffle (how lucky is that?). We had been "lusting" for one, and as much as *I* wanted one before, my expectations have been surpassed.

 

I have a few niggles (Flash, a file structure, and simpler file transfers among them) but to finally have a portable window to the world, the iPad seems like "magic" to me.

 

Bill

Edited July 16, 2010 by Spy Car

[Miss Marple]

Bill, I played with an iPad the other day at Best Buy and thought it was totally cool! The only question I had (and was unable to find a BB associate to ask) is whether one can create documents like one can with MS Office/Word? The sample I played with had a notepad application that allowed creation of a document, but no way to save it to a file (that I could figure out).

 

Also, could one add an external dvd drive?

[Spy Car]

Bill, I played with an iPad the other day at Best Buy and thought it was totally cool! The only question I had (and was unable to find a BB associate to ask) is whether one can create documents like one can with MS Office/Word? The sample I played with had a notepad application that allowed creation of a document, but no way to save it to a file (that I could figure out).

 

Also, could one add an external dvd drive?

 

Yes, one can create documents. Apple has a WP program called "Pages" (which is evidently Word compatible, although I've yet to purchase it) and Apple also has "Keynote" (Power Point) and "Numbers" (Excel).

 

There is also a program called "Documents to Go-Office Suite" that allows editing/creating Office files on the iPad.

 

My "knowledge" here is limited and not first-hand (yet) so just how seamless transition between Office and Apple versions or Documents to Go is not something I can answer with authority. But is is supposed to work.

 

I'm not aware of an external DVD drive, I'm pretty sure it is not possible (at least at this time or perhaps ever).

 

Bill (still learning)

 

ETA: I have used the built-in (and bare-bones) program called "Notes" to take notes (for myself) at meetings of our local planning committee where I'm a volunteer member of the board. I've just "emailed" the notes to myself. Then copied and pasted into Word on my home computer to keep a record and do any revisions or additions there. Not highly elegant, but it works (at least one way).

Edited July 16, 2010 by Spy Car

[krisandpaula]

Thank you so much for the opinions!! I had a feeling a laptop was more of what I needed and this just solidifies that theory. As much as I think the netbooks and iPads are cute, or cool, or just so ultra-portable, I want to make sure my final choice can do everything I need it to do. I think I'll go back and look at the more portable (under 5.5 lbs.) laptops and see what I can come up with. I have enough curriculum to sell to likely cover the difference in price between the lower-end laptops and the netbooks.

 

And Bill, as much as I 'want' you to convince me, I just don't think the extra problems that go along with the iPad is worth it for me. . .yet. I just might have to add it to my Christmas list though. :001_smile: It just looks so darn cool.

 

kimanjo, can I ask which netbook your dd is using? I wouldn't mind loading the dvd's onto the hard drive. That is an easy step. Do you think something like Discovery streaming would be viewable on the netbooks you all have at a reasonable quality? I would love to go and look at the model you are using. Thanks!

[Beth in SW WA]

Huge iPad fans here. Dd is recovering from oral surgery and watching 'Taming Of The Shrew' (Netflix) on our iPad in bed right now.

 

We have ipod Touch, Nano, iPad and Apple computers. My next lappy will be a Macbook. An iPad can't do what a Macbook can do. For homeschooling, a laptop would be ideal. An iPad would be an add-on.

 

My blog has a list of our fave educational iPad apps. ArtPuzzleHD is such a fun way to study artists.

 

I could go on and on about our new toy...:001_smile:

Edited July 17, 2010 by Beth in SW WA
clarify

[Novafan]

Based on your requirements, I'd go with a smaller laptop and get the kindle or an ireader program for the laptop. My husband just got me the smaller MacBook pro and I love it!

[Tidbits of Learning]

DO. NOT. get an Acer netbook unless you want to wait for fifteen minutes (LITERALLY) for the computer to power up and be ready to surf the Internet, be agonizingly slow uploading pages, and distort all sound that comes through it because (again) it's slow.

 

Most netbooks would not be what you want because they don't have DVD playing capabilities. Nor does the iPad, if memory serves.

 

I have an Acer and it is the fastest computer in our house. So I don't think they are all duds. Mine is Windows XP though. Our laptop with Windows 7 however is slow as molasses.

[parias1126]

I have had/have all of the above. I purchased a netbook an it went right back to the store. It was so slow that you can barely stream YouTube, Netflix, etc. It also has no DVD drive to watch the MUS DVDs.

 

I now have an iPad and, let me tell you, I don't know how I ever lived without it!! It is truly amazing, but I do get annoyed at times with no Flash capabilities. It does not have a DVD drive either though. I do have trouble prying it from my childrens hands though. My daughter who does not like to read spent an hour reading Winnie the pooh the other night. There I an app for just about anything. I even logged into my iMac this morning right from my iPad....absolutely amazing! There is a Netflix app that you can use to stream educational movies, documentaries, etc. It even now has an app for "Pages" which is apples word processor.

 

The ipad is amazing if you aren't going to need Flash or a Dvd drive. Otherwise, you should probably stick with a notebook.

[parias1126]

Bill, I played with an iPad the other day at Best Buy and thought it was totally cool! The only question I had (and was unable to find a BB associate to ask) is whether one can create documents like one can with MS Office/Word? The sample I played with had a notepad application that allowed creation of a document, but no way to save it to a file (that I could figure out).

 

Also, could one add an external dvd drive?

 

You can get the "Pages" app for $9.99.

[Shawna in Texas]

I have a netbook, my husband has one, and my daughter has one. We also have 2 laptops. No iPads, don't want one (lack of flash a definite minus).

 

We all LOVE our netbooks. They are so light we can curl up with them in a chair or on our beds. Can't do that with a laptop!

 

Here is how to overcome the lack of a DVD drive: you just take your DVDs and "load" them onto your netbook hard drive. You can do this easily through you main computer at home and a USB cable. That way you aren't carrying the DVDs around with you.

 

My D's netbook weights 2.6 pounds. That is LIGHT. We have traveled all over the world with these netbooks, even rural Nicaragua and Guatemala and the Andes of Peru.

 

My D is taking a slew of online college courses--some of which require DVDs, and she loaded the DVDs onto her hard drive and now goes off to Starbucks or the library or the local cafe and sits there and does her schoolwork. Portability.

 

About the operating software: just don't get a netbook with Winbdows 7, or strip it off and load it with Linux or Ubuntu. Or Win XP home (you can find it cheap cheap on eBay). Also, most of the netbooks are now sold with 2GB/250 hard drive so speed is not a problem.

 

Good luck.

:iagree:

 

This exactly. We're able to watch Netflix and hulu, so I don't see why Discovery Streaming would be a problem. I love these little things.

[WishboneDawn]

I have an Acer and it is the fastest computer in our house. So I don't think they are all duds. Mine is Windows XP though. Our laptop with Windows 7 however is slow as molasses.

 

I think Cw was probably having a netbook specific problem. They're underpowered but still come loaded with the resource-hog Windows 7. A stupid and cumbersome combination.

[WishboneDawn]

Thank you so much for the opinions!! I had a feeling a laptop was more of what I needed and this just solidifies that theory.

 

Yup. As cute as netbooks are and as cool as the iPad is they just don't have the versatility of a laptop. I wouldn't mind either but I would want a laptop first.

 

Much as I'd love a sports car I really have to consider the fact that the kids, dogs and groceries wouldn't fit in one. :)

 

Besides, you can always decorate your laptop with cool stickers. :D

[ClassicalTwins]

We got to GREAT HP's for our 7 yr old twins from Costco last year. I can't remember the weight, but they love them.

[Spy Car]

An iPad weighs 1.5 lbs. Is truly a comfort to hold, and doesn't get hot the way laptops do.

 

It doesn't replace a desktop (which the OP already has) but what a nice compliment vs a clunky laptop.

 

Bill

[Pata]

We have two Acer netbooks (both have XP on them) and they are great, way faster (and lighter) than my Toshiba laptop. We have an external DVD drive that we can plug into it for watching DVD's or we load them onto the harddrive to watch later. We also have the extended battery for one of them, which means we can use it for 8 hours (or more) without having to plug it in. Ours have been on the beach in Thailand all the way up to the Himilayas, we're very abusive to computers :). We've been so pleased with netbooks in general that I have a new Dell netbook coming to replace my 2 year old Toshiba which no longer holds a charge, the mouse doesn't work and the DVD burner broke a year ago. Go with a netbook, you can't beat the price, they are light and portable, plus they can do all the things that you need them to!

[mystika1]

 

 

Honestly, I think you'd do really well to go into Best Buy and pick up a Toshiba from their clearance or sale section for $350 to $500. For what you want any basic laptop will perform very well. Toshiba is generally pretty trouble free. Dell would be another option but a little pricier. Even an Acer.

 

.

:iagree:

[TwinMominTX]

Ipad can not print, if that is an issue and I've been told you can not plug peripherals (mouse) into them.

 

There are several third party apps that now allow you to print from an iPad.

[distancia]

OP: We all have Asus. My D has a 1005HAblack, the cheapest model, I got it new with rebate (ebates) $261 free shipping.

 

I have an Asus 1000he (2 years old) and my husband has a new 12" Asus1201 2.9 pounds, brushed steel case, which cost him $400 with super-advanced graphics (gamers love this netbook!), so powerful that he uses it on his 38' Hatteras as the main navigational system, hooked into his satelite navigational systems and GPS configs. He sold his Sony laptop (14" screen with DVD burner, etc weighing 6 pounds) on eBay and bought this instead and hasn't had a regret since. He also has a 17" high-end Dell that he uses as a desktop but would never think of lugging around everywhere, it is so cumbersome.

 

Yes, the prices are "almost" the same as low end/clearance laptops, but what you are paying for is portability.

 

You can definitely stream. Sometimes at night I lie in bed and watch Hulu with my headphones plugged in. Also great when you travel, you can preload videos on there and take with you for the road. My daughter Skypes her friends on hers when we travel abroad, way cheaper than a 'phone call and has the advantage of the videocam.

 

All of our units run very very fast, my husband's the fastest (boot time about 17 seconds with Win7), my daughter's 1005 with WinXp home netbook (condensed) version about 25-30 seconds, and mine the slow baby with WinXp home netbook at about 40 seconds. All of these beat our home computers, desktops AND laptops. I have split-partitioned mine with Linux and now have a boot time of 14 seconds, and my D had one of the older original netbooks with a Asus 7" screen netbooks (when they first came out that was pre-installed with Linux) and that had a boot of 9 seconds.

 

I think you would do well with either the iPad or netbook.

 

Suggestion: Get the laptop ONLY if YOU are willing to carry it everywhere and if you DON'T have another computer with a DVD drive at home. If you have 2 or more computers at home that are desktops and/or heavy laptops, then definitely get a netbook or iPad. Personally I would hold on the iPad, they will certainly come out with a 2nd generation and/or cheaper version (Apple always does) that can do more and has fewer kinks, maybe more pre-installed apps. [i do not like the idea of having to buy "apps']. If and when they do so and you want one, you can always sell your other computer (netbook or laptop) on eBay.

[mystika1]

I have split-partitioned mine with Linux and now have a boot time of 14 seconds, and my D had one of the older original netbooks with a Asus 7" screen netbooks (when they first came out that was pre-installed with Linux) and that had a boot of 9 seconds.

 

.

 

I love linux and have it installed on all of our desktops. It is soooooooooo much faster than windows. The stability is awesome and no virus worries. I highly recommend linux if you choose a netbook or a laptop. When I build a pc for someone I always recommend linux unless the person wants to use the rig for high end games. I don't think I will ever go back to windows again.:D

 

Sorry I got off topic.....:auto:

[jlcejb6]

:bigear:

[Peela]

I have had my ipad for about 3 weeks now and it is kind of an appendage now...dont know how I ever lived without it.

For ease of carrying about...it is amazing. Hardly any heavier than a mug of coffee! (OK, a little, but not much!). One of my favourite bits is that I can turn it on and off instantly, without having to boot it up or down. I can also go to bed and check my email, read the boards, play with various apps, watch You Tubes, read an ebook etc. I can also play my ipod within my ipad and the inbuilt speakers are loud enough that I can prop it on the kitchen table or next to me in bed, and listen withouthassling with speakers.

 

I did have a laptop before I got my current desktop computer, because I wanted the convenience of portability. But I found that it wasnt as portable as I had imagined and so I rarely took it off my desk anyway. Then the battery went and I had to have it plugged in, so it lost all its magic for me.

 

Although I do love the ipad...it does feel alike a luxury item rather than a necessity. I use it a lot, which makes it seem useful...but in the end, its more technology, which I love, but my garden is neglected.