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Laptop or Tablet: Which Device Do You Need?

If you were to look at most moderate-income households, you would notice that several members of the family have both laptops as well as tablets. This isn’t too surprising, of course, since most people automatically associate tablets with entertainment.

However, tablets have evolved in leaps and bounds over the last few years. As such, the newer models are more powerful than ever before. So, taking these changes into consideration, it is only fair to ask the question: is a tablet as powerful as a laptop? Or, perhaps more importantly, if you had to make a decision, should you go with a laptop or a tablet?

Well, this is actually a many-layered question. Therefore, to answer it properly, you have to take the following factors into consideration:

General Power and Performance

If you were to compare tablet processors with that of a laptop, the difference is rather obvious. When it comes to sheer processor power, the average laptop leaves its tablet competitors in the dust. So, if you need to perform complex tasks that require complicated computing, then the laptop would win this round.

However, it is important to keep in mind that there are numerous business tablets these days that have unprecedented processor power. They are more than capable of keeping up with even newer laptops. At the same time, there is a catch. Such high-end tablets are the same price or more expensive than many laptops.

Display

It’s easy enough to think that laptop screens are better – after all, aren’t they larger? Sure, while laptop screens may have more real estate, they can’t always match up to the sheer quality offered by tablets. One of the more popular examples of this is the display comparison between the iPad Pro and the MacBook Pro.

From resolution to color accuracy, the tablet is superior. This isn’t just a one-off feature though. Many tablets boast a much better display than laptops. Now, this may seem confusing at first, but let’s take a closer look at why this is.

On average, what are laptops used for? While there are those who use them for entertainment purposes, most people use them for work or school. Tablets, on the other hand, are mostly used to watch videos and play games. People who use tablets for work purposes are graphic designers and once again, their main requirement is screen resolution.

It is due to the differences in the way the screens are used that explain the variations in quality. So, if screen quality is of the utmost importance to you, then you will be better off with a tablet.

Battery

If you were to pop off the back of a tablet, you would see that much of that area is devoted to the tablet battery. Your laptop, on the other hand, has a battery that is smaller than a brick. Sure, size isn’t any symbol of power but it does play a role here.

To add to this, tablets are all about power efficiency. Since they have a fewer number of applications and functions, they tend to use up less battery power. In turn, the batteries on these devices tend to last a lot longer than laptops. So, in this instance, it could be argued that tablets have the upper hand.

Ease of Use

Now, there are several factors that can contribute to what someone might consider a ‘user-friendly’ experience with either laptops or tablets. Let’s take a look at how each of these devices will measure up in these situations.

One reason a laptop is considered easier to use is the fact that it is capable of multi-tasking. Therefore, you will be able to run a number of programs, apps, and many other things all at once. Since a tablet isn’t nearly as complex, it isn’t possible to manage multiple tasks at once.

On the other hand, tablets are lightweight and portable. As such, they can be easily used for business, entertainment, and other purposes where a laptop will not do. Not to mention, it is simple to add accessories such as keyboards, mouse, and more to make tablets just a user-friendly as laptops.

Cost

Another interesting element to consider is the cost. As you may be aware, laptops are available in various price ranges. So, you can find one for a couple of hundred dollars, if you aren’t looking for a very sophisticated model.

With tablets, though, you can get an even better deal. For instance, the Consumer Help Guide shows that there are certain models available for under $50. Thus, it is clear that tablets win the price category of the contest.

You should be aware, though, that with both laptops and tablets, the price is often correlated with performance and quality. This means that you will often get exactly what you paid for. For a high-functioning, long-lasting device, you are going to have to splurge a little more.

Storage

These days, people store more files, photos, and applications on their digital devices than ever before. This, of course, ensures that you are going to be requiring more storage space as well. Consequently, it only makes sense to see which tablet comes out on top.

Well, here, the laptop is more sophisticated once again. Mid-priced, modern laptops often boast between 500GB and 1TB of memory. This allows you to store a vast amount of data in a variety of formats.

Tablets, however, don’t even come close to this. Their memory options often run the gamut from around 4GB to 32GB. While many of these do offer up the option of additional external memory, it may not be anything like what a laptop can provide you with.

As you can see, it isn’t always obvious what digital device is best for you. Rather, you need to think about your own, unique situation and requirements and make a decision based on this. It is only then that you will able to select a device that is perfectly suited to you.