Laptop vs Tablets for College
If you’re hoping to make it through several years of college, you’re going to need a solid mobile device to help. It’s incredibly important that you choose something that not only fits your personality and style, but is powerful enough for you to be productive. Easy enough? Not so fast…As if there weren’t a staggering amount of laptop choices to choose from to make your head spin, the processing power in new tablets can rival a mediocre laptop. So what should you choose, a new powerful tablet or laptop?
Tablets vs. Laptops: Power
I know you’re thinking, tablets are no where near as powerful as laptops. If we lived in 2011-ish, I’d say you were correct. However, Apple’s new A7 chip (iPhone 5s, iPad 5), Qualcomm’s SnapDragon 800 (latest Android tablets), and Intel’s new Bay Trail processors making their way into the latest tablets, the picture becomes a bit less clear. These new architectures promise power that rivals high end laptops from a few years ago, in the form of a small portable tablet.
So what’s better? That’s going to depend on your usage style. If all you’re doing is taking notes in class, writing up papers, and basic internet browsing, the latest tablets should do the trick. You’ll notice very little difference in these simple apps between a nice laptop vs tablet. However, if you’re a graphic design or programming student, requiring programs such as Photoshop, or are a multi-tasking guru…you’re going to want a fully fledged laptop. While new Windows 8.1 tablets coming out can technically run Photoshop or equivalent programs, a nice Ivy Bridge or Haswell laptop is going to make the experience fluid and less frustrating.
Power Score:
- Laptops: 3 points
- Tablets: 2 points
Tablets vs Laptops: Price
Similar to power, the initial thought is that tablets are far cheaper than a fully fledged laptop. However, increased processing power in new tablets comes at a price. And you’re most likely going to need a cutting edge tablet if it’s going to be your only device. A new cutting edge iPad, Android, or Windows 8.1 tablet is not the same as purchasing an old kindle fire. And while a new $500 dollar laptop is usually going to be more powerful than an equally priced tablet, the same question arises: what type of student are you, and what are your needs? If you need something powerful, a cutting edge tablet is going to be more expensive than an equally powerful laptop. Then again, a sub 16 ounce tablet is going to be easier to place on your desk and in your backpack than a 5 pound hulking laptop. However, power for power, a laptop is going to be cheaper in the end – but the gap is quickly closing!
Power Score:
- Laptops: 3 points
- Tablets: 2 points
Tablets vs Laptops: Portability & Battery
The gap on portability / battery longevity is closing as well. When the iPad 1 and 2 were first released, their portability easily rivaled any laptop at any price, and a laptop that could last 10-15 hours was unheard of. However, Intel’s new Haswell processor evens the playing field a bit more, depending on the type of laptop you get. A low voltage core i5, ultra-light laptop/hybrid (such as the new MacBook Air, or Microsoft’s new Surface Pro 2), can last 7 – 10+ hours on a charge, and give you the multi-tasking, fluid experience of a fully fledged laptop running Windows or OSX, all while weighing around 2 pounds (the new iPads come in around 1.5lbs for reference). Tablets win this one, as there are no sub 1lb full powered laptops running around, but as stated above – laptops are catching up.
Power Score:
- Laptops: 2 points
- Tablets: 3 points