I don't know about the IPad, but I do know with the IPhone you can easily have internet with you all the time. I currently have a Blackberry, but am going to upgrade to an IPhone very soon. I have internet on my Blackberry and use it for many things.
The notepad feature is great for any kind of list or notation you need to make. I have the dimensions of my windows for making curtains or finding curtain rods, the stock numbers of the ink cartridges for my printer, and all sorts of other info I might need.
In my picture file, I have pictures of blocks or quilts I would like to make.
Main reason I want to upgrade is that I'm running out of memory.