If you are a college student or are going to college in the near future, you know that you will need access to a reliable computer to write papers or do research. However, should you choose between a laptop or a tablet? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each to help you make an informed decision.
Laptops:
Pro: Easier to Create and Store Content
Laptops have larger screens and a keyboard that lends itself to easy content creation. Inserting pictures, graphics and other elements into documents is also much easier on a laptop. In addition to making it easier to create content, laptops come with larger hard drives to store that content.
Con: Laptops Are Heavy and Bulky Compared to Tablets
Carrying a laptop to class may be harder than carrying a tablet to class because a tablet can weigh as little as one pound or less. While a tablet can fit in your backpack with ease, you may need to carry around a separate carrying case for your laptop.
Pro: Laptops Are Cheaper
You can get a quality laptop for around $300, while you may need to pay as much as $400 for a base model tablet. Another plus for laptops are the fact that you can buy a quality used laptop for $100 on Craigslist that will enable you to take notes or watch videos for class.
Tablets:
Pro: Record Lectures for Future Viewing
The average tablet is going to come with a powerful camera that allows you to record lectures with outstanding sound and picture quality. This enables you to review the lecture after class or when studying for a test. With standard editing software, you can cut the lecture into shorter pieces and post it online to help yourself and others who may have missed a particular lecture.
Con: Apps Can Be Hit or Miss
When you buy a laptop, you can buy specific programs such as Microsoft Office that you have used in the past and can trust. However, on a tablet, you have to download apps that may or may not be of high quality. Some apps may require you to pay to access the full version of that app despite the basic version being free to download.
Pro: Tablets Are Easy to Bring With You Wherever You Go
If you are asked to take pictures or otherwise create content while on a field trip or for a class project, you can take pictures and post them to a blog with ease. With voice recognition software, adding text to a document is as easy as talking to your tablet. This ease of use combined with the relatively small size of a tablet may make it a better option for college students who are always busy.
The answer to the question of whether you should get a laptop or a tablet depends on what your computer needs are. If you just need something cheap that is good for content creation, a laptop may be all that you need. However, if you want something that you use in class or you would rather talk to create text, a tablet may be the option for you.