Tech Commentary: Laptop vs Tablet

Tablet vs Laptop:

2011 is the year of the tablet.  Consumers have many options when it comes to choosing a tablet that's right for them.  But some are asking themselves if they really need a tablet or if they can get by with just their laptop.  Others might be debating on either purchasing a laptop or netbook versus buying a tablet.

Well, if you need help with that decision, I hope I can help steer you in the right direction. Keep in mind that in future posts, I will discuss characteristics of different tablets if you come to the conclusion that you would like to buy one.


The first group of people that I want discuss are the people that already have a laptop and are wondering if they need to get a tablet. 
Companies in the tech industry talk about 'content creation' and 'content consumption.' Analysts say that we spend 25% of our time on the computer creating content and 75% of our time consuming content.  That means that 25% of the time is spent creating files, writing content for blogs, etc.  So, the rest of our time is spent consuming content: doing research, surfing the web, checking social networking sites, reading e-mails, viewing pictures and videos, etc.


So how does this play into our decision?  Well, if you believe that around 75% of your time is spent consuming content over the internet, then a tablet would work great for you.  I believe this has been said many times, but I'll say it again.  A tablet is not a replacement for your laptop or desktop.  A tablet is not robust enough to handle everything you do with a computer.  You can't install whatever program you would like onto a tablet and run the program without any problems.  Apple might like you to believe that you can do anything with their iPad that a computer can do with all of their apps, but
it's just not true.


With a tablet, you can browse the web, view and possibly take photos and video, create and read e-mails, check and create content on social networking sites, and run many thousands of apps.  With these types of activities being the majority of the way we use electronic devices, a tablet will work just fine.

If you use a laptop for business when you're on the go, you may need to continue to use a laptop depending on what you use the laptop for.  If you just use the laptop for light activities such as browsing, e-mails and Facebook, you could replace it with a tablet.


I definitely would not replace all desktops and laptops with a tablet.  For most tablets, you need a computer to transfer the content you would like on your tablet such as photos and videos.


With that said, there are situations where you could purchase a tablet instead of a laptop.  But if you are performing more serious tasks and software, you will need a desktop or a laptop.


I plan on submitting additional posts along these lines, such as: Now that you've narrowed it down to a tablet, what kind should you get and how can I get the best deal?  Thank you for reading.