Bill Gates sides with netbooks over iPad

No surprise there then

By adamgashead on 11 Feb 2010

Jobs is wrong

Bill may well be biased, but Jobs is plain wrong when he says "netbooks aren't better at anything"

I use my Netbook to run Starcraft & Dungeon Keeper II when out, connect my Camera to my 250GB USB drive and browse the web.
My wife uses it to access Facebook games (Flash based).

So, to summarise, the iPad can only do one of those things.
Better is subjective, clearly, but Netbooks are certainly more capable and a LOT cheaper.

The iPad is a device looking for a use, and as yet not finding it.

By cheysuli on 11 Feb 2010

I'm still not sure...

...what the iPad is for.

I may be wrong but I can't see it enjoying the same success as the iPhone.

By Lacrobat on 11 Feb 2010

hp slate PC

I really liked the conceptual HP Slate PC actually, everyone seems to have forgotten about this device but it resembles the iPad.

http://www.engadget.com/photos/hp-slate-on-stage-a
t-ces-2010/#2589611

By 00lissauers on 11 Feb 2010

I think BG has a point about the input methods - it just doesn't change the game here. To me, typing on a screen makes zero sense. Why on earth will it not do handwriting recognition? (So far as I know)

Also any game-changer should surely not rely on WiFi just happening to be there but use 3G as standard.

By AdrianB on 11 Feb 2010

So what about Windows Tablets

So the keyboard on a netbook is essential -until we have windows slate devices!

By milliganp on 11 Feb 2010

And Billy G is allways correct?

Although I agree with Bill Gates, the device has no WOW factor. I can't help but think that Bill Gates has made some royal far off statements in the past like "640K ought to be enough for anybody."

By DaChimp on 11 Feb 2010

Keep taking the Tablets

I think from the early stuff I've seen that Windows Tablets will blow the socks off the iPad as a general purpose computing device. I think the iPad will find some spectacular niches - I'd love to see what the Final Scratch guys can do with it, for instance - but it's not a truly general purpose platform.

By Steve_Cassidy on 11 Feb 2010

@DaChimp Although he never ACTUALLY said that... its an urban legend.

I still can't see why anyone would buy a web-focussed machine which doesn't support flash. Ridiculous head-in-sand stuff from Jobs.

By The_Scrote on 11 Feb 2010

Lots of things doesn't mean lots of useful things

Admittedly the iPad was IMO way overhyped, but to say that Netbooks are better depends on your point of view. One of the biggest groups of people interested in getting an iPad is current non-computer users. For them a Netbook is too complicated.

Remember, the majority of Smartphones do not use Windows software; the iPad uses software that has proven popular amongst people who previously didn't really 'get' technology gadgets.

If you're a geek, or techy, then you probably don't get the iPad either - because it isn't aimed at you. You have to think outside of the box.

By SwissMac on 12 Feb 2010

And Billy G is allways correct?

Although I agree with Bill Gates, the device has no WOW factor. I can't help but think that Bill Gates has made some royal far off statements in the past like "640K ought to be enough for anybody."

By DaChimp on 12 Feb 2010

You underestimate non-technical people

@SwissMac

My wife looked at the iPad and said "what's it for?" - I told her what it did and her first reply was "So its a big-screen iPod for four times the price then?" to which I could only reply "Well, yes - essentially that's what it is."

She "got" it right away.

And as she plays Facebooks games, for her, a Netbook is better.

By cheysuli on 12 Feb 2010

But does Bill Gates use an iPhone or a mobile windows phone, and if the latter was that a good decision?
So maybe he's not the guy to look towards for impartial hardware advice.

By stokegabriel on 12 Feb 2010

But does Bill Gates use an iPhone or a mobile windows phone, and if the latter was that a good decision?
So maybe he's not the guy to look towards for impartial hardware advice.

By stokegabriel on 12 Feb 2010

Well first thing that came to mind is Dom Jolly. Can't see why anyone would want to use an iPad when their iPhone will do all they want or they will have a Laptop that will do more for them. Trying to create a market that doesn't really exist.

By herobear on 12 Feb 2010

@SwissMac "One of the biggest groups of people interested in getting an iPad is current non-computer users"
I think there's a market there - but how do they use one if they don't have WiFi?

By AdrianB on 12 Feb 2010