Help Desk: Laptop vs. Ipad

Ever-since these Tablet PCs got released in the markets, people would often ask "Which should I get? Will I get a new laptop or a new iPad/Tablet?". It often happens that there are lot's of blogs and forums that don't really offer necessary "HELP" to these consumers. Sometimes they only tell people what to buy because for them it's the "HOT" thing to buy and use right now.

"Which one should I get?"

I've been working around computers my entire life and even learned how to use a DOS programming (I'm that old?) and what I can say right now is that in order for us to answer that question, we will have to narrow down the PROs and CONs for each Gadget. I will also not be biased in terms of the specs of devices and would be generalizing terms for iPads, Samsung Galaxy Tab, or other related devices as Tablets.

The TABLET (iPad, iPad mini, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Tab, Blackberry PlayBook, etc)

The Advantages:

1. Portable, Lightweight, Easy to Carry, Comes in 7", 9" etc.
    The Tablets come in small, weightless packages, no matter how thin or thick it is, it's still small enough to fit in my bag and I can carry it around the mall, to school, to the office, in the plane, without many people noticing that I am actually carrying a Tablet PC in my bag. I can use it anywhere.
2. Touch My Body, Do it on the Screen
     Maybe it's easier maybe it's not but touchscreen actually makes browsing emails hassle free. No more dragging no more mouse-clicking, no more keyboard sounds. Touching just the way I like it.
3. No More Messy Spaghetti tangled cords
     Having a tablet will give you less cords, connections unless you are charging or needing to plug it and Sync. But other than that, who needs a cord when there's Dropbox, iCloud, OneDrive, etc.?
4. Apps come in all shapes and sizes, but also their Prices.
     Nevermind having to pay for the apps, it's the functionality at the touch of your finger. There's the Apple Store, the Google Play Store or even the Windows Live Store.
5. No WiFi, No Worry because I have 3G.
     Internet needed? you actually don't need to hook up to a WiFi hot spot  You can use your Data connection even on the most remote island (provided there is cellular signal)

The Disadvantages

1. Where's my printer when I need one?
     Having a tablet means everything but you will also need a WiFi capable or Bluetooth capable Printer for this one.
2. The App store can't provide
     Yes, the App store has tons of Apps but it doesn't really give you the document creating essentials and of course Flash is not supported that much (unless you are using Google Devices or Windows devices) so how do you get to watch your streaming sites?
3. A Full pledged document reader but lacks the capabilities of a creator
     Word, Powerpoint, Excel. We may have Apple creating Documents but they don't really support all types of documents.
4. Where are my Drives when I need them?
     USB Ports, CD/DVD/BluRay Burner, LAN, SD Reader, HDMI, most are not available when using a Tablet PC
5. Games are strictly Apps
     Gone are the moments when we hook our Xbox Controller and play our favorite PC Games. All are strictly touch games.
     P.S. Emulating is not really the same
6. Less Storage
     You have a limited storage. You will not be able to expand unless you buy another. Store it on cloud drives you say? It's hard to trust that files are not being monitored.

The Powerful Laptop (Operating in Lion OSX, Windows PC, etc.)

The Advantages:

1. The Complete Non-Desktop Package
     Of course you will have to look at the specs to know what a best laptop is but narrowing it down, It must have USB ports (3.0), DVD/Bluray Burner/Player, WiFi and Bluetooth (what laptop doesn't have this?), LAN, HDMI Port/s, SD Card Readers, a good Screen that has a good VideoCard for your HD Movies and Games, the Gaming Chips, built in webcam, Audio ports, multi-touch trackpads and many more. giving you a desktop on the go. Maybe you could choose a touch screen PC, too.
2. OS Doesn't matter as long as programs Run
     Whichever you prefer, The Microsoft Office or the Mac Office, It can read, write, create, decode, process documents faster and all in one. They maybe more expensive than  Apps but has much more capabilities. You're not limited to Adobe Flash data, because it can read everything and even create Flash data of your own. Browsers won't fail you anymore and you have a variety to choose from.
3. No Limited Memory
     You Have your gb/tb External HDD, you have your USB Flash drives, you have your MicroSD Cards. Expand your built in memory by buying upgrades.
4. Connect all your devices
     Face it. No device may work limitless unless you have a PC to sync its contents. Even with the Tablets, Smartphones, DSLRs, you will need a laptop.
5. Faster Everything
     Processors, Internet, Programs, everything works 3x faster or even more. And your movies, no matter what you say, it's faster and clearer on the big screen. 1080p Baby!

The Disadvantages

1. Spaghetti, and It's Not Even Edible
     All those cords get tangled up unless you do something about it. And there's the fact that all my external HDD have different cables, so much for minimum working space
2. Are You Carrying a Slab of Rock?
     Laptops are just heavy (unless you opt for a notebook minus all the drives) and let's face it, It's like carrying the stones that Moses was carrying. Then you have to bring your charger, your external drives, your mouse, your cords. I feel like a weightlifter.
3. OMG, There are no available Hotspots!
     Emergency email sending or other emergency tweets, posts can't be done without a WiFi (unless you add another device such as a broadband stick or a MiFi)
4. How do I install This?
     It's really not as easy as Purchase this App and voila, it's magically installed, no, you have to buy a software, plug it in, install it, choose from the menu and stuff, then something goes terribly wrong and I have to re-install or reboot.

Now we see what the fuzz is all about. But, I'm sure of one thing. It's better to have multiple devices than none at all. The world we are living in is very fast paced and technological. We have to cope otherwise the kids start saying that we live in the ancient times. And it's really nice to have these things because we prepare ourselves for the future.

Conclusion:

Laptop or Tablet

If I were to choose, given my opinion, A tablet can never replace a laptop because the laptop has everything. And I'm gamer, I play my games for the Long Run. It will still be up to you to choose. But given the circumstances  I will tell you something, I have an iPad, a Tablet (Alcatel), a Laptop (Acer Aspire), a Smartphone (Samsung), a Mobile phone (Nokia) so really, It's better to have more than one than to have nothing at all.

Enjoy your shopping,

xoxo thejanraphaelbc