{"id":964,"date":"2011-06-17T09:47:12","date_gmt":"2011-06-17T14:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ict-pulse.com\/?p=964"},"modified":"2011-06-17T09:47:12","modified_gmt":"2011-06-17T14:47:12","slug":"laptops-versus-tablets-which-one-is-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/2011\/06\/laptops-versus-tablets-which-one-is-better\/","title":{"rendered":"Laptops versus tablets, which one is better?"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post is in response to a request made by an ICT Pulse follower. Do you have a topic or issue you would like us to address? Do post your suggestions on our Facebook page or on Twitter, or send us a note by<\/em> email.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Over the last two years or so, and especially with the introduction of the Apple\u2019s iPad<\/a> last year, computing tablets have been growing in popularity. They are often depicted as a hybrid of a smartphone and a laptop (or notebook), but increasingly, people are reportedly replacing their laptop with a tablet. Below, we examine the pros and cons of tablets and laptops, and conclude by providing some final considerations should you be in the market for one of those devices.<\/p>\n

Benefits of tablets over laptops<\/h3>\n

Tablets generally offer three key benefits over laptops: portability, battery life and versatility.<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 Portability.<\/strong> Tablets are by far more portable that laptops, especially with respect to weight. On average, tablets weigh under 0.8 kg (1.75 lbs), whilst laptops tend to weigh 2.3 kg (about 5 lbs) and up. Most laptop manufacturers include lightweight versions in their offering, which tend to weigh between 1 kg and 2.7 kg (2 lb and 6 lbs). However, to reduce a laptop’s size and\/or weight, built-in functionality is reduced when compared with standard laptops.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 Battery life.<\/strong> Typically, the battery life of the standard laptop ranges between 3 and 6 hours, but can be significantly lower depending on the processing power of device and the applications that are being used. On the other hand, a tablet on battery can last up 10 hrs.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 Versatility.<\/strong> With tablets being all the rage, professional and amateur programmers are developing a multitude of applications. Many of the applications are designed to capitalise on the device\u2019s portability (over laptops), which in turn makes tablets extremely versatile.<\/p>\n

Benefits of laptops over tablets<\/h3>\n

Today’s laptops offer a number of advantages over tablets, but this will most likely change as tablet technology continues to evolve and as manufacturers find more innovative ways to improve their tablet offerings. Below are five benefits laptops currently have over tablets.<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 Processing power. <\/strong>The average laptop. by far, has greater processing power than a tablet. Currently, the processor speed of the typical laptop is in the region of 2.5 GHz, whilst that for a tablet is less than half that \u2013 around 1 GHz.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 Keyboard interface.<\/strong> Laptops have built-in keyboard interfaces, which make intensive data and text entry activities quite efficient. On the other hand, tablets use a touch screen \u2013 a fully tactile interface that requires little or no skill to use competently. They also offer a graphical keyboard, but at the heart of it, tablets are not designed for lots of typing. However, some manufacturers are increasing the flexibility and functionality of tablets, by allowing them to seamlessly connect to a keyboard. For an example of this trend, see Asus Eee Pad: The tablet that thinks it’s a netbook<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 Hard disk size.<\/strong> Generally, laptops have significantly larger hard disks than tablets. Tablets usually have between 30 GB and 60 GB of space, whilst the hard disk storage on new laptops start at about 320 GB, and could be up to 1\u00a0TB (TeraByte). However, laptops may have lower than average hard disk storage when the overall size and weight of the device are being optimised.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0 External ports<\/strong>. Unlike tablets, laptops usually have a variety of ports and connectors through which external devices can be connected. Generally, tablets have no ports, and are dependent on wireless technologies (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G) for connectivity. On the other hand, laptops, depending on physical size and built-in functionality, tend to have, in addition to some wireless connectivity options:<\/p>\n