When it comes to buying a new device for work that could handle all your office tasks easily, tablets and laptops often confuse most people. It is because some of the modern tablets that are available these days cost as much as a laptop, and offer much better performance.
However, can you do all the tasks on a tablet that a laptop is capable of doing? We are pretty sure most people have the same question going on in their minds. Thus, in this simple article, we will try to provide you with answers that will help you choose the right device to pick according to your work requirements.
Tablets
If we talk about tablets, you can even consider them with large-sized mobile phones, but with a few additional advantages that make them compete with laptops. Similar to smartphones, tablets are extremely portable and lightweight, which makes them a good option for daily commuters who need to manage their work on the go.
Although tablets are not that functional and can’t help you do all the stuff that you can do on a laptop. Still, tablets are still a viable option to consider for anyone who needs to handle casual tasks like managing documents, emails, web surfing, etc. Moreover, in your spare time, you can even enjoy some games on it if you want.
Pros and Cons of a Tablet
Pros:
- Very compact and thin designs
- Highly portable
- Have a good battery life
- Tablets are generally less expensive
- Ideal for web surfing, watching videos, reading eBooks, etc.
- Have a better UI, and navigation is easy
- The camera quality is quite good, and perform very well during video calls
Cons:
- Don’t have enough storage space
- Fewer connectivity ports
- Connecting extra peripherals is complicated
- Do not have a physical keyboard, hence, the typing experience is not great
Laptops
Laptops are basically a computer but packed up in a highly portable and compact form factor. In terms of processing power, a laptop is definitely a better option as compared to tablets. Over time, we have seen laptops improving in terms of portability and performance both. On a laptop equipped with powerful hardware, you can basically do anything that you could do on a desktop.
However, a laptop would be a much more expensive option for you if you want it to be portable and powerful at the same time. Whereas if you go for a budget-friendly laptop, you will have to sacrifice significant processing power and features. A budget-friendly laptop is only a good option for handling tasks like web surfing and managing documents.
Pros and Cons of a Laptop
Pros:
- High processing power
- Ideal for multitasking
- Offers you a lot of storage space
- It’s easier to connect and use external peripherals with it
- Offer a better typing experience
- You can even use a wireless mouse with the laptop
Cons:
- Might feel slightly heavy
- Generally needs a bag for carrying
- Powerful laptops have an expensive price tag
- Vulnerable to threats like malware and viruses
- The camera quality is not satisfactory
Comparison Table Between Tablet Vs Laptop
| Tablet | Laptop | |
| Portability | Highly portable | Lesser than a tablet |
| Display | Smaller screen than laptops | Larger screen size |
| Storage | Limited Storage Space | More storage with expandability options |
| Cameras | Camera quality is usually good | Not very satisfactory |
| Battery Life | Long battery life | Not all laptops have a good battery life |
| Performance | Satisfactory performance | High performance |
| Operating System and Software | Android, iPadOS, Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Interface | Touchscreen | Keyboard and trackpad |
| Connectivity | USB Type-C, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB Type-C, HDMI, Ethernet, etc. |
Overall Findings
Laptop Vs Tablet: Portability
In terms of portability, we would say laptops are decent. But, tablets have a much more compact size and are generally thin, so you can carry a tablet more easily as compared to a laptop.
Laptop Vs Tablet: Display
If you seek a larger display, you should get a laptop as you can easily find models with up to 17 inches screen sizes. On the other hand, tablets are smaller and have a smaller screen size than most laptops.
Laptop Vs Tablet: Storage
If storage space is a major concern in your field of work, a laptop usually comes with a hard drive of around 1TB. Whereas a tablet usually has a limited storage space of around 64 GBs or even lesser.
Laptop Vs Tablet: Cameras
For video calling and taking pictures, a tablet is always the better performing one in both cases. Although camera quality on laptops is also decent, a tablet is generally better compared to it.
Laptop Vs Tablet: Battery Life
Since laptops have much more hardware as compared to tablets, the battery of laptops does not last for very long. On the other hand, tablets are more like mobile phones and have a really good battery life overall.
Laptop Vs Tablet: Performance
Speaking of processing power and performance, undoubtedly a laptop’s processor is much more powerful in all aspects as compared to a tablet. Apart from doing all the casual tasks like web surfing, documentation, etc. You can use a laptop for much more heavy tasks like video editing, gaming, etc.
Laptop Vs Tablet: Operating Systems and Software
When we compare laptops and tablets on the basis of their operating systems, it’s very subjective as every user has different needs. Tablets usually come with Android, iPadOS, and Windows. On the other hand, laptops generally have macOS, Windows, and Linux as operating systems.
Laptop Vs Tablet: Interface
If you like using mobile phones and are comfortable using the touchscreen for navigating and typing, the tablets are good. However, we believe that with the help of a physical keyboard and trackpad, users can navigate much easier.
Laptop Vs Tablet: Connectivity
A laptop is quite a winner here as you get multiple ports for connectivity such as USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB Type-C, HDMI, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, etc. On the other hand, tablets only come with a single USB Type-C port for charging and connecting OTG devices. Although you get Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on tablets for wireless connectivity, similar features are found in laptops too.
Conclusion – Which Should You Choose?
There is no doubt that laptops have more power and can do much more than a tablet in terms of computing. However, if you need a device on which you can work on the go while commuting, tablets are quite a good option to pick. Tablets are generally easier to carry and do have a better battery backup as well. But, when it comes to multitasking and performing heavy tasks, tablets cannot beat a laptop in any way. Hence, if you are sure that you will never ever need to use your device for any heavy tasks, you can choose to pick a good tablet for yourself. Otherwise, we would suggest you to keep a laptop as your first preference always.
