Deciding between a mini-laptop and a tablet comes down to what you need it for
Ah, gadgets – what would we do without them? More often than not, though, they seem to make our lives more complex. For those of us who were debating between buying a desktop computer and a laptop, the introduction of the mini-laptop, or netbook, gave us more to think about. And just when we were ready to decide, along came tablets, of which the iPad [3] is the most popular, to further complicate the issue.
What’s All the Shouting About?
According to industry analysts, the tablet is becoming so popular that it will outsell mini-laptops and laptops by the year 2016. This is partly because tablets use apps for filtering and searching, thus changing the way news is channeled and consumed. The iPad in particular is transforming the economics of business operations, the way businesses function and how executives interact.
So What Should You Buy?
If you’re torn between buying a mini-laptop and a tablet, here are some points to consider before shelling out your hard earned money:
Mini-laptop advantages and disadvantages
- More portable than laptops, so they’re better for traveling
- Great for media editing, word processing, surfing the web and lightweight gaming
- Easier to upgrade
- Can connect to most hardware devices [4] (printer, portable hard drive, smartphone, music player, etc)
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- Cheaper than desktops and tablets
- Not as capable or powerful as laptops
- Frequently heat up too quickly
Tablet advantages and disadvantages
- More portable than mini-laptops
- Longer battery life, which means you don’t have to lug a charger and plug everywhere you go
- Takes up less space
- Ideal for media consumption – listening to music, watching videos, playing games, reading e-books and browsing the web
- Lack of hardware connectivity
- Not suited for work such as word processing and photo editing
- No keyboard, so you have to type on a touchscreen, which can be frustrating and time consuming
- More expensive
So How do You Decide?
In the end, the great debate over which device is better will never be resolved because each has its advantages. To help you decide, answer this question – what is your digital lifestyle? If you want to do quick tasks (checking your bank account online) or kill time when you’re waiting for a flight (playing Angry Birds or watching videos), then a tablet would be perfect for you. If you need something to handle more critical tasks (content creation and management), a mini-laptop will serve you better.
Are you a diehard fan of the tablet? Or are you perfectly happy with your mini-laptop? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this debate! Please add your comments in the field below.