Personal Computer TutorJune 2013
Laptop or Tablet?
With all the wonderful tablets on the market today many people are wondering if they could get by with a tablet instead of a laptop when they travel. With summer upon us I thought I would devote this newsletter to the question of whether you could do what you need to do with just a tablet instead of a laptop.


 

Considering the size/weight advantage alone many people would like to pack a thin tablet instead of a laptop. But will it be able to do what you want to do when you are away from your computer? That is a hard question to answer because everyone has different needs. So here are some basics to consider:

 

Tablets are excellent devices at consuming content. If all you want to do when you travel is to read your email, look at websites, read a book, watch a movie, look at pictures, read a document (and a little light editing is possible), then a thin light tablet will do the trick.

 

If on the other hand you will need to do extensive work on documents, spreadsheets, presentations or if you don't like the idea of compromising (not all websites display properly on tablets, sometimes you will just have to use a computer to view a particular website) then you will still need to get a laptop. Someday tablets might fully replace laptop computers but we are not there yet.

 

Middle Ground

Then there are some who would still like to press ahead and just take a tablet with them and will just deal with any inconveniences that may arise if it can't accomplish a particular task. For them the trade off is worth it to only have to travel with a small/light tablet. So if you know that you could just deal with the limitations while traveling then go for a tablet. But if you must be able to do whatever you want to do then you will still need to get a laptop. 

 

Good Tablets on the Market Today

If you are considering a tablet for summer travel here is a list different brands to consider:

 

Apple iPad-iOS (click here)


 

The iPad is still considered the premiere tablet on the market. You see them everywhere and for good reason. They do many things very well (father's new iPad) and with over 700,000 apps in the iTunes App store it is true when you hear "There is an app for that".

 

Microsoft Surface-Windows 8 (click here)


 

Microsoft is a little late to the tablet game but their Surface RT and Surface Pro look like they will give the iPad a run for its dominance. For the month of June you can even get a free keyboard with it which could make it feel even more like a laptop when you need it..

 

Google Nexus-Android (click here)


 

The Google Nexus line includes a Nexus 4 phone and Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets. The Nexus tablets are based on the Android operating system so if you already have an Android phone then a tablet will just be a larger screen for you and you will already know how to use it. Although the Android App store does not have nearly as many apps as the Apple store does you can almost certainly find any kind of app you might be looking for.

 

 

  

Additional Reading on Laptop vs. Tablet 

Consumer Reports (click here)

Information Today (click here)

Amazon.com (click here)

Lenovo: (click here)

 

As always if I can assist you in your decision making process please let me know.





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Personal Computer Tutor

Claude Kerno

719.650.9916

[email protected] - www.pctutor.com