Advantages and disadvantages of using Ajax update panels in ASP.NET application

Question

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using Ajax update panels in ASP.NET application. Is there any alternatives available to avoid the use of Ajax update panel?

Answer 1

Advantages:

1. Easy to use and configure (Well, I don't know of any other advantages!)
   

Disadvantages:

See here and here
Now for the best part, the alternatives:

Use jQuery's built in support for Ajax to make GET/POST Ajax calls, it's very simple (simpler than the update panel I would say), and absolutely compatible with most browsers!
An example of using one of the many easy ways jQuery provides for doing Ajax calls:

  $('#anotherContainer').load('/Home/RegularAjaxResource');

This would simply call a server resource (RegularAjaxResource in this case) and display it's returned data on an UI element with id anotherContainer