If you haven’t heard about the iPad by yet, then you must be living on another planet. Apple’s newest device brings about a new player in the ever expanding tablet market. However, the Apple Tablet isn't an entirely foreign concept. The Axiotron Modbook was released in 2007, hoping to spark interest in the idea of a Mac tablet. And it’s no wonder that the Axiotron project did just that. After all, Steve Wozniak (yes, the “Woz”) was on the Board of Advisors for Axiotron and demonstrated the product last year at Mac World.

For those who don’t know, the Modbook is an Apple-approved endeavor in which Axiotron purchases a MacBook (or MacBook Pro) and converts it into a tablet by adding a Wacom Pen Screen (with 512 levels of pressure sensitivity). They also offer a process by which you can send in your Macbook (or MacBook Pro) and have them convert it for you at a discounted rate.

With today's announcement,  Apple completely changed the playing field of tablet devices. That’s why we wanted to take a look at how the new iPad stacks up against the Modbook.

The iPad Hardware



Just from looking at the iPad, you would think it’s the bigger brother of the iPhone/iPod touch. Well, that’s true in some areas, but the overall device is much, much more than that. The front of the device features a 9.7” LED backlit Multi-touch glass screen. This screen produces a native resolution of 1024 x 768. That resolution is found on many devices, including some netbooks. In addition, this beauty comes in capacities of 16GB, 32GB, or 64 GB. It has a custom-built processor called the Apple A4 chip that runs as 1GHz. The iPad also includes WiFi (a/b/g/n), Bluetooth, and optional 3G connectivity.

The battery power will last longer than a MacBook at 10 hours of surfing the web on WiFi, watching video, or listening to music. Charging and syncing is done with the 30-pin Dock connector on the bottom of the device. Input and output ports include: a Dock connector, a 3.5-mm headphone jack, built-in speakers, a microphone, and a SIM card tray.

All of this technology fits into an enclosure that’s only .5” thin and weighs 1.5 pounds. The iPad starts at $499 for a 16GB model without 3G.

The Modbook Hardware



The Modbook is essentially a MacBook (or MacBook Pro) and the specs depend on the level of the Apple hardware they use. The newest Modbook can be souped up with a 2.13 GHz processor, 512MB to 4GB of RAM, and a 60GB to 250GB hard drive starting at $1,649. With the Modbook, you’ll get all of the usual ports and connections, plus an iSight webcam (something the iPad can only dream of--for now).

Pros and Cons

Where the iPad differs from other devices like this is that it runs the iPhone operating system. Sure, there’s over a 140,000 applications that can run on this device right out of the box, but there’s a bit of a limitation when it comes to this sort of device. You’re not going to be able to run Mac applications. Plus, there’s reports that you might not be able to view Flash content in Safari. These things might be a deal breaker for some.

Apple has released a new developer SDK (Software Development Kit) that will give developers the ability to build iPad-specific applications. Apple has already announced they will be bringing their iWork suite of applications to the iPad in the form of $10 downloadable apps for Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.

With the Modbook, you’ll be able to do everything a Mac can do, including the ability to view flash content in whatever browser you choose.

Which Should You Get?

If you’re in the market for a laptop with a slimmer form factor, touch screen capabilities and the ability to run Mac OS X-compatible applications, then go with the Modbook. However, if you're looking for a thinner, lighter device that will enable you to surf the web and share your media anywhere, then the iPad could be a good choice.