Some analysts argue that computers have outlived their usefulness. There is some truth in this: PC and laptop sales are falling at the expense of tablet sales. Do people really prefer tablets to laptops? You could say so. And many potential buyers are still unable to decide what to choose: whether a laptop or a tablet. Today we will talk about the benefits of each of these two devices, and at the end of the article try to summarize and draw a conclusion about what is still worth choosing.
In addition, the question becomes relevant when we talk about students and the practical functions of study devices. Can a student download study material there, how portable are these devices, and will he or she be able to write an essay or maybe pay for an essay with it?
How is a tablet better than a laptop?
- The compactness of a tablet. It is a small device, even if the diagonal of its screen is more than 10 inches. Just think, if the weight of the tablet is rarely more than 600-800 grams, and small models weigh 300-450 grams, the laptop with a small screen weighs considerably more than 1 kg. The same can be said about the size: if a 7-inch tablet will fit in a large pocket, then even a small laptop requires a bag or backpack.
- The running time of the device. Laptops tend to work up to 4-6 hours without charging because the battery does not allow more. In the case of the tablet, everything is much more interesting – some models can easily handle 12-14 hours of surfing the Internet! However, let’s not forget that with an increased load the battery discharges many times faster. So, a rare tablet can withstand more than 4-5 hours of some toy with excellent graphics. Nevertheless, this result cannot be considered as bad.
- Quick access to the system. In order to start using your laptop, you must turn it on and wait for the operating system to boot up. In the case of the tablet, everything is much easier: take the tablet out of the backpack, press the Power button and you can start working. At the same time, modern tablets hardly lose any power in standby mode – no more than 5 percent a day (depending on the specific model of the tablet).
- The tablet replaces several devices. So, a tablet is very convenient to use instead of an e-book, to watch videos, or as a digital photo frame.
- A tablet is fashionable. For some people, this will be an important argument.
How is a laptop better than a tablet?
- Screen diagonal. So far, tablets with large screens are rare, because they are not in great demand, and are often very expensive – at the level of not the cheapest laptops. The diagonal screen of the latter can be up to 19 inches! If you want a big screen on a portable device – choose a laptop.
- Availability of a keyboard. You can say that you can buy a separate keyboard for your tablet and you will be absolutely right. But first, it will be a small keyboard, which in addition may be uncomfortable. And secondly, it will not allow you to adjust the angle of the tablet. In the case of a laptop, there are no such problems. It is fair to say that tablet transformers with a full keyboard and the ability to adjust the angle of the tablet began to appear.
- The ability to perform various tasks. This is one of the biggest advantages of a laptop. For example, you need to print a document. It is not a problem with a laptop. Now imagine how long it would take if you used a standard touch screen keyboard on a tablet. Another example. You want to play some cool game on your laptop, but it is not supported on the tablet.
- Port support. Not all tablets support flash drives, and even if they do, you will have to use an OTG-cable (USB ports on tablets are extremely rare). In addition, you may need other ports that are on the laptop: HDMI, VGA, etc.
- Large hard drive size. While tablets usually use 8-16 GB of internal memory plus a memory card that the user can buy, laptops rarely have less than 320 GB of hard drive space. True, SSDs usually only have 32GB of storage, but they are much less common on laptops.
- User interaction with the laptop. This is a more familiar and comfortable model for many users. Not everyone is comfortable using only their hands when surfing the Internet on the tablet. You can connect a mouse to the laptop – like a full computer, not to mention the existing keyboard.
- A great choice of software. Despite the fact that the same Android OS offers a huge number of applications, it is not always convenient to use them on the tablet screen. It’s a good idea to use Photoshop on a laptop.
What to choose – a tablet or a laptop?
It all depends on what you need. For example, if you need the device only for surfing the Internet, using social networks, and watching videos online, it is enough to have a tablet. If you need to do any work, say, with the texts, it is better to give preference to a laptop. For example, students should choose a laptop, but in most cases, a tablet will be enough for schoolchildren.
The final decision depends only on you. Read about the benefits of each device, analyze and make your choice.
