What is better: a tablet or laptop

Tablets and laptops, although they do not belong to the same class of devices, may well be interchangeable. But not in all areas.

Which is better: a tablet or a laptop? We understand the areas and technical characteristics

Before you buy a tablet, laptop or computer-transformer (also called a hybrid), it is necessary to determine the scope of its use. The following scenarios can be distinguished:

1. Mobile office work (when a computer is used as a “typewriter”);

2. Mobile web surfing;

3. Mobile entertainment (viewing multimedia, undemanding to the "iron" games);

4. Mobile gaming;

5. Mobile photo editing;

6. Mobile video editing or special work (such as programming, designing or modeling).

For each of these environments, a particular form factor device is better suited.

Mobile office activities

If you plan to use the device primarily for office activities - working with Microsoft Office packages or analogs, with bank clients, for drawing up reports or presentations - then you definitely need to choose a laptop. The same is true for educational computer.

Desktop operating systems (Windows, Ubuntu, macOS and all the rest) provide maximum comfort when working with documents. In addition, they differ in a well-developed multi-window mode and in most cases an open and understandable file system. This will allow, for example, to quickly find a document on a flash drive, edit it and send it by e-mail.

Tablets are also suitable for office activities, but with some limitations. Mobile operating systems such as Android or iOS, of course, also know how to edit documents, etc., but applications for them do not have too wide functionality (especially with regard to formatting), and even less do not support hot keys.

A good solution would be to buy a hybrid computer (transformer), which, when needed, offers the convenience of a laptop - but at any time can turn into a mobile tablet. The most productive devices from the Microsoft Surface Pro series, however, they are expensive. If a cheaper solution is required, then hybrid computers of Lenovo Yoga or Asus Transformer lines will do.

Mobile Web Surfing

But when it comes to browsing websites, Android and iOS tablets show even more convenience than hybrid computers on Windows. This is due to the fact that many web pages are specially optimized for touch interface and viewing from tablets.

In addition, large portals and social networks have special applications for mobile operating systems. Through such clients it is much more convenient to view content and communicate than through web versions.

Mobile entertainment

Another area in which tablets excel laptops. Mobile operating systems (Android and iOS), thanks to the features of working with hardware, allow you to run beautiful and high-tech games even on relatively weak hardware platform.

In addition, management in such games is better optimized for small screens and touch input than in desktop projects.

The same is true for other forms of mobile entertainment - watching videos (including streaming), playing music, reading, etc. In all these cases, tablets show greater performance and comfort than laptops.

Mobile gaming

But if you want to play modern and resource-demanding games, even outside the home, then it is better to take a special laptop. Gamers laptops are equipped with powerful graphics cards and powerful processors, making it well suited even for projects such as Overwatch.

Of course, gaming laptops have a number of serious drawbacks, including:

1. Bulkiness and great weight. Such devices are usually larger and much heavier than conventional laptops;

2. Low battery life. Even the most modern models of gaming laptops under high load show 4-5 hours of "battery life";

3. The relative high cost.

Nevertheless, it is possible to play projects demanding on resources only on them. It is also worth considering that games designed for Windows can be run exclusively on a Windows laptop or tablet.

Mobile photo editing

If you want to carry out simple editing of photos (post-processing, retouching, color correction, etc.) right in the way, then the best solution would be to buy a special tablet such as Microsoft Surface Pro 4 or iPad 2017.

These tablets are equipped with high-resolution displays and excellent color reproduction, they work on the operating systems that support most of the most common graphic editors and are equipped with a stylus, which makes changing photos the most convenient and enjoyable.

But Android-based tablets for photo editing will not work, since the applications for them are distinguished by a rather limited functionality.

Mobile video editing (as well as special, resource-intensive forms of activity)

For such activities as video editing, 3D modeling, design, engineering, programming, testing applications in virtual machines, etc. High-performance laptops, so-called mobile workstations, are required. Of course, they are expensive, but they are equipped with the most powerful components.

But tablets or even gaming laptops for such purposes will not work. They do not provide sufficient performance.

Summary

When choosing a mobile computer should be guided primarily by the scope of its intended use. For example, Android tablets for work are not suitable too well - but they are ideal for mobile entertainment. On budget Windows laptops it is very pleasant to be engaged in labor and educational activities - but you can play them only in very old or undemanding games. Powerful Windows laptops are good for games and for work related to a technical or similar specialty - but they are too cumbersome.

A good “universal” solution would be to buy a hybrid ultrabook, such as Microsoft Surface Pro 4 or Dell XPS 13.

Tablets running on the iOS operating system are suitable for simple everyday activities, including simple work, entertainment, etc.

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Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a guide to purchase.