November 27, 2014
There is hardly a better time to buy that new computer you want. You know you want something to take around with you but you just aren't sure if a laptop or a tablet better suits your needs. Here are a few ways to tell what is best for you:
- Mobility vs Power
You want to get the most out of your choice so decide what it is you need the device for. Tablets are really for casual use while on the go. This means activities like watching movies, listening to music, browsing social media and checking email and other simple tasks. For work activities such as preparing documents and presentations, or power user jobs like video editing or playing video games then a powerful laptop is definitely for you. - Hard Drive Space
You want your programs and files always within reach; it could be an e-book for that long flight, or a few movies when far from home or perhaps your entire music and photo collection. Hard drive space determines how much of anything you can keep with you, and for many the bigger, the better. Tablets have much smaller hard drives than laptops unless you are willing to fork over some extra money. - Price
Tablets are not only much lighter, but also cheaper than laptops, from as low as US$150, putting them in range of most budgets. Laptops cost more, so the decision often depends on how much you are willing to invest into a computing device. - Connectivity
Computer users always need to plug in: files to transfer to flash drives, phones to charge, and presentations to display via projectors. Tablets keep your connectivity options fairly limited, while newer laptops are more likely to offer all the ports you need.
If your choice will be your main machine you would be better off with a laptop. But if it is to be something on the side then a tablet is definitely a good choice. Please note that computer technology is constantly changing and everything we just said may not remain the same next year. Please share what went in to your decisions to choose a device.