Apple iPad vs Dell Inspiron 15

Apple surprised everyone with the price of the new iPad and it is just $499, which is probably a couple of hundred less than people were expecting. Of course, the iPad looks fantastic and it is a very desirable gadget, but seriously though, if you had $499 to spend, would you really buy an iPad?

Any sensible person would look at the alternatives that are on offer and a trip to the Dell website revealed that for less money you could buy an Inspiron 15 laptop computer. This is just one example from one company and there are many alternatives, but it serves the purpose of this comparison.

	Dell Inspiron 15	Apple iPad
Processor	Dual core T4400 2.2GHz	1GHz A4
OS	Windows 7	iPhone OS
Display	15.5in LCD	9.7in LCD
DVD	8X DVD burner	None
Memory	3Gb
Storage	250Gb	16Gb
Wi-Fi	Yes	Yes
Battery	8 hours	10 Hours
Keyboard	Built in	Costs extra
Case	Built in	Costs extra
Camera connection	Built in	Costs extra
USB	Built in	None
Price	$489	$499

An Apple iPad is really quite limited both in the hardware and the software it can run and for less money you can have a powerful laptop computer. I know there are a thousands apps in the iTunes app store, but a lot of them are very simple. Just think, you can run iFart even bigger and better on an iPad! The Dell on the other hand can run Microsoft Office, Photoshop, and a zillion other freeware, open source and commercial applications. The Dell is a real computer that runs serious software (and fun apps and games too). OK, the iPad runs iWork, but who uses iWork? It also costs extra whereas OpenOffice for the Dell is free and has more features.

Of course, I would like an iPad because it is lighter, more portable and looks fantastic, but when you compare the capabilities of a laptop, even a budget one, the laptop blows the iPad away. When it comes to spending my own money my head rules over my heart and I would have to buy the Dell even though I'd love the iPad.

Remember that this is version 1 and they say you should never buy version 1 of anything. I think that two or three generations down the line when Apple has improved the hardware and operating system and when developers have written some cool apps for it, it will be a good buy. Just compare the latest iPhone 3GS with the original iPhone on launch day to see how much it has changed. If the iPad is developed in a similar way then it'll be great in three years time. Right now though, it looks cool, but I think my money would go elsewhere.

(PS. There are lots of optional extras for the Dell. I chose a better battery which added $40 to the price, but it lasts nearly as long as the iPad. The Inspiron 15 actually starts at $449.)