Tablets vs Computer
Tablets are the newest and hottest gadgets in the technology world. The hype about these ultra thin, wireless devices, which are priced at around $600, has started with the introduction of the legendary iPad in the beginning of 2010. You can see them everywhere, especially during travels, on college campuses and in the business environment. Tablets are mostly used for entertainment purposes, such as reading books, watching movies, using one of the many “apps”, and emailing. It is debatable whether or not tablets will replace laptops in the future.
What’s the reason for this hype? Using your fingertips to browse through the Internet on a 7 to 10 inch touch screen, and to play games feels very natural, intuitive and easy. There is basically no booting up time compared to a computer, which comes in very handy. It can be very dragging to constantly have to wait until your laptop or desktop wakes up. Although laptops have been constantly changing towards smaller sizes and lighter weights, nothing compares to the lightweight and portability of a tablet. With a weight of around 1.5 pounds it is very easy to understand why many choose tablets as a new alternative to computers. It is a much better travel companion than a traditional laptop. Although you cannot fit a tablet into your pants pocket you do not have to wear a shoulder laptop bag to move it around. Basically, a tablet takes as much space in your bag as an oversized book. Most business travelers do not need all the functions that a computer offers. Creating documents and writing emails is their main purpose and therefore, a tablet represents a better and easier way during business travels. Convenience is a very important part in today’s rapid society and the tablet is a perfect example that fits into this society. A tablet represents the gap between a laptop, which sits at a desk, and a smartphone, which is too small to replace PCs completely. Many people use computers for basic purposes such as surfing the web, emailing, playing games, and other recreational functions. A tablet is just the perfect little device for that. In this case, tablets have the potential to replace the traditional laptops. The battery life of a tablet can last for many hours unlike a laptop. Downloading and installing software is a very easy process. There are hundreds of “apps” available of which many are at no charge and which are very easy to install. The applications allow each user to customize his or her gadget.
Tablets are not very convenient for typing because of the missing keyboard. It can be quite frustrating to type long documents on a touch screen.
Laptops and computers have slots for playing and creating CD’s and DVDs. Tablets do not have this ability. Also, getting information off the tablet is not that simple. You either have to email the information to yourself, or hook it up to another computer. There is no slot to attach a memory stick, which makes data transfer a challenge.
At the moment, tablets are more designed for consuming media whereas computers are designed for creating content. Tablets have just begun to explore the market and many models are only in their first or second generation. In the future, we can expect more advanced devices that will turn tablets into a mass-market reality. According to Steve jobs, the iPad should not just be seen as a big iPhone that offers another way to only consume media. The iPad is supposed to revolutionize the way of computing by moving away from traditional computers. He envisions that soon, our traditional laptops will only serve as a base station to synch our tablets. It is our generation that will find out about it.
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