1. Not having to lug around extra space & mass of physical components you don’t need to read books, watch movies, surf web, hear music, browse pictures, etc. So long as you’re connected (wireless), you don’t need keyboard, removable media, ports, origami, etc.
2. Replacing much of that space & mass with battery. 11+ hour battery life vs. what? 3-5? Content is more available when the battery isn’t dead.
3. Instant on. Push button, go.
4. Touchscreen. Swipe screen to turn a page. Touch an item to access it. No coordination of trying to touch/type/poke somewhere else to activate what you’re looking at or emulate a natural movement. This is a bigger deal than most people give touchscreens credit for: reduce the cognitive cycle time and you’ve got more time to think about other stuff.
5. Weight. Ask a backpacker: given time, each extra ounce is just another pound.
0. The whole of the above (and other refinements) is greater than the sum of the parts. You can nitpick each point, but the aggregate just makes for a superior content experience.
-1. Hey, if your netbook works for you and you’re happy with it, great.
Netbooks are pretty light and compact, plus they fold to protect the screen. Battery life you may have a point, but how many situations are people really in for 11 hours without a power source?
Windows can hibernate and turn on in a relatively short time.
And I have never had “cognitive cycle time” difficulties using a mouse.