Tablet or Laptop: Which is Better? What Should I Buy?

Now that tablet computers have firmly planted their foot in the world of computers; questions on comparison and suitability of tablet and laptop are flying around. People who are keeping money aside to buy such a device think a lot as to which device will give them the better value for their money. Although, desktops, netbooks, palmtops etc. are also there in the market –but nowadays, the tug of war is being played between tablet and laptop. So, here I am giving you a few tips that might help you decide which one you should buy. Lets assess both types of devices on various parameters.

As I told you in my article on how to buy a laptop, first all of you should think about your requirement and budget. Your first question should be “why do you need a laptop or tablet?”. It is important to know what you want to do with the device because both these devices serve different purposes.

Tablets and laptops are available in a wide range of price. A good salesman should not burn a hole in your pocket. Before, going into a store, you should have a realistic idea on how much you want to spend on purchase of a tablet or laptop.

Once you have fair idea on budget and requirement, then you should compare tablet and laptop on the following measures:

Laptop vs. Tablet

Both laptop and tablet are designed to be portable –so both can be easily taken to various places in your bag. But obviously a tablet needs lesser space and also it is much lighter than a regular laptop. So, if you have mobility issues, a tablet will suit you better because of its light weight.

You can quickly switch on your tablet computer wherever you’re. It does not take more than a few seconds to be ready for use. Laptops, on the other hand, require more time to be ready (up to a minute). So, if you need to switch on and switch off your device quite often, you’ll find tablet more suitable.

Because of quick boot time and light weight, tablets are good for taking quick notes and photos –whereas you can use a laptop only when you get a place to sit properly.

Here laptop beats tablet hands down. Laptops are proper computers designed for heavy-duty work. So, if you need a more powerful machine, go for laptop.

Not that you can be rough with your laptop, tablets are more fragile and needs to be handled more carefully. You can carry around tablet like a book –so tablets face greater chances of being accidentally dropped and meet other unpleasing treatment. You would need to be very careful with your tablet.

SEE ALSO: Looking to buy iPad? Learn where you can get it least expensive

Most tablets nowadays are coming with pretty good cameras. Combined with light weight and short boot time –it is easy to take photos and selfies with your tablet. Laptop can not be used in the same fashion. Also, camera in laptops is good only for online video chats. Laptops come with webcams, which are not hi-res cameras.

Although you can always buy an external keyboard to attach with a tablet but if you need to type a lot –better go for a laptop. Laptops are heavy duty machines designed to strike a balance between portability and performance. The design mantra of tablets, in contrast, is to provide greater portability and readiness. Tablets are not really meant for serious professional work.

A number of tablets are available in market that have in-built phone call making facility. These models are usually called pahblets (a hybrid between phone and table). Laptops can not make phone calls over regular mobile networks –but you can use Voice-over-IP services like Skype to make calls to other phones. But of course such calls are subjected to the limitations of your internet connection.

I hope assessment on these parameters will help making your mind in dilemma of buying tablet or laptop . Let me know which one you prefer and if you have anything else to add to this article –please feel free to comment.

And, yes, if you’ve any questions, please feel free to ask me!