About the iPad: Apple has a case for it. The case will allow you to prop it up almost standing straight up to watch a movie, turn it around and lay it down at an angle for typing (much like a physical keyboard), and then flip it around to cover the screen. So typing will be easier than you think with that accessory. The screen is also small enough that I imagine many people will learn to use their thumbs. I wouldn't trust anything from AppleInsider though. They are nothing more than a rumor and speculation site that like to "report" on news from "inside sources." They predicted a large touch screen iPod back in 2005 and 2006. They didn't get things right until 2007 but, after making the same prediction for two years, they were bound to get it eventually. They have also been saying that an Apple tablet (running full on Mac OS X) was going to be released every year since about 2003. They took a statement from an Apple exec, "analyzed" it, and are "reporting" on their "analysis." The exec said that Apple can be "nimble" with the pricing. AppleInsider seems to be making a big deal of it all when this isn't the first time such statements (and actions) have taken place. After all, Apple has decreased the prices of iPods over the years to keep up with the competition, the iPhone received a price slash not too long after its release, and the AppleTV received a price slash which helped boost sales. The Mac Mini, MacBook, and 13"-15" MacBook Pro models have also received price decreases. Students can purchase a MacBook for less than $1000. I don't know, I guess I just have a negative predisposition against AppleInsider due to their past track record.
Well, I am a fan of Windows 7 Home Premium, Pro, and Ultimate. Windows 7 Starter is complete garbage as it doesn't offer many of the advantages that Windows 7 has over XP. Windows XP is still a good operating system even though it is approaching an almost decade old age.
I wouldn't focus on the operating system though as you can always install Windows 7 Pro (or whatever) after the fact. Manufacturers like to charge a premium for Windows 7 (both Home Premium and Starter) on netbooks and I don't know why. Microsoft definitely isn't charging them an arm and a leg for 7 Home Premium (and above). Windows XP is being phased out of netbooks though as they are moving to 7 Starter. Either way, both XP and 7 (Starter and above) will give you roughly the same basic functionality. The main difference is that Aero (the graphical enhancement that makes everything look nice) is only available on 7 Home Premium and above. 7 Starter does not come with Aero (among other things).
Companies are continuing to support Windows XP with their software releases though. They will likely stop supporting XP over the next 3-4 years and, by that time, we should have Windows 8. Companies were quick to support Windows 7 simply because it is what Vista should have been. It is hard to judge what companies will support in the future. They were quick to drop (or never even add) Windows ME support, it took them many years to stop supporting Windows 2000, it took them about a year after Vista's release before it was fully supported, Windows 98 was dropped rather quickly after XP's release (it wasn't that old at the time), etc. My guess is that Windows XP powered netbooks and net-tops are going to be discontinued (or upgraded) over the summer and consumers will be faced with machines running only the different Windows 7 flavors (along with Mac OS X) by this fall. That is when other companies may start focusing more on Windows 7 support and then slowly drop XP support.
We will see. Either way, you should be fine with XP, 7 Home Premium, and 7 Starter. I don't like 7 Starter but that is nothing that a small upgrade won't fix (that is unless you feel like plopping down the extra ~$50 manufacturers charge for putting 7 Home Premium on a netbook).
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