Laptops vs. Tablets

There is a debate as to whether or not tablets are better than laptops. This is something that really has interested me. In this essay we will compare the differences between three tablets and three laptops to see if we can determine whether tablets are better than laptops or vise versa. Even though tablets are more portable, laptops are better than tablets are because of their better capabilities and size of the laptop.

In this paragraph/section of the essay we are going to focus on the portability of tablets vs. laptops. Because laptops have a physical keyboard, it makes it a lot easier to complete your work whether it be for school, work, or even just personal use. Having a physical keyboard allows the device to have more space on the screen so you can really see what you are needing to do, or are doing. Although laptops do have a physical keyboard, they are less portable than tablets are because of how big they are. Laptops tend vary in size anywhere from 5 pounds to 6 or 7 pounds. Tablets on the other hand are great portable devices because of how small they are.

Yes, they lack the keyboard but it does cut out most of the weight. Tablets in most cases weigh less than 2 pounds, and some are even less than 1 pound. Tablets may be more portable that laptops are but because of how small they are, the capabilities lack those of the laptop. I believe that because laptops are not as portable as tablets are, people usually tend to sit down and fully concentrate on their work rather than being able to just grab the tablet and doing it on the go. So portability would have to go the tablets, due to their sleek and small design. You can just throw your tablet in your bag or even just hold on to without having your arm get tired. Not only are tablets small and sleek and portable, but also they are also great for kids that are stuck in the car on a long car ride. All you have to do is just turn on Netflix, or even just download a few games to keep them occupied so you do not have to listen to “are we there yet”. Tablets 1, laptops 0.

The next thing we will be talking about will be the physical capabilities of the tablets vs. the laptops. I have included a chart with all of the information that I will be using in the paragraph/section. Screen size will have to go to the laptops. There are a few different types of laptops for example, notebooks, netbooks, and regular laptop computers. The size of the screen usually ranges from the smallest of the family which is around 11” to the biggest which is usually around 17”. The great thing about the bigger screen compared to the tablets is quite simple, easier to see what you doing or even watching. Speed of the laptop compared to the tablet has to go to the laptop. The laptops speed is more than double what most of the tablets have. Most tablets have a processor with a speed of around 1 GHz, where the speed of the laptop in the current technological era is right around 2.1-2.2. The speed of the device is important for many different reasons. The speed is very important for all of those big time gamers out there who love using their devices for gaming.

The speed of the processor keeps the game from lagging along with the video card in the device. The memory difference between the laptops, and the tablets is a huge difference. The amount of memory usually found in a tablet is from about 8 gb – 64 gb. The memory capacity in laptops are way higher than the tablets are, the memory for laptops range from around 500 gb to 1000 gb (if you are willing to pay the extra money for the extra hardware and memory). There is one thing laptops and tablets have in common, and that would be almost all tablets and laptops have HDMI output, so you can hook them up to a tv and watch all of your favorite shows on a bigger screen while sitting comfortably on the couch or in that new recliner you just got for christmas.

There is one big difference and advantages that tablets do have that laptops do not have and that would be the camera. Laptops do have built in cameras that usually are only used for video chat, not so much for taking pictures or recording videos. The operating system is not really a big deal for comparing physical capabilities of laptops vs. tablets. The operating system varies for all, so you can not really say one is better than the other because everyone is going to have the operating system they prefer over the others whether it be Blackberry, windows, or apple.

So in conclusion I can not verify whether the laptop is better than the tablet or vice versa. As you can see they both have different advantages and disadvantages. It all comes down to what you are really wanting to do and what you want your device to be capable of doing. My personal opinion of the matter is that I will always prefer a laptop over a tablet because of the size and all of the different capabilities that it has that the tablet does not have.