Why tablets are taking over from traditional laptops

Whereas laptops were once solely the domain of travelling businessmen and computer geeks, today portable computers are everywhere, and the prices and options available reflect the growth in popularity. However, just as computing made the jump from desktop to laptop, there is now a third option to choose from: the tablet. A tablet is basically a single flat PC, with a touch-screen operating system and everything needed built within it, so the user no longer needs a flat surface or any peripherals in order to use it. This change in the market has brought with it a new breed of tablets, each seemingly more advanced than the last, and there seems to be no slowing down in how advanced and compact they can get.







Let’s go back a step though and consider the introduction of tablets. Named after the stone age flat surface that early man would’ve wrote on using charcoal, the earliest patent for an electronic tablet to use for handwriting was actually in 1988. However, it wasn’t until 2000 that Microsoft introduced the Microsoft Tablet PC. There have been only a handful of other significant tablets made it onto the market in the last ten years, however Apple re-energised the market in 2010 when it launched the record-breaking iPad. Dubbed a "smart tablet", the iPad was marketed as the ultimate gadget for media-consuming users. Though not nearly as practical for many day-to-day personal computing requirements, like music processing or design work, the modern day tablet is built with the web and media firmly in mind. Thanks to its compact design and hassle-free usage, users can surf the web, read the latest e-book, download and watch a movie anywhere or chat to their friends on Skye with live video streaming.

There are however even more obvious advantages to using a tablet over a laptop though. In the new breed of tablet, the processing power is comparable to that of a mid-level laptop, so even fairly processor-heavy tasks, like photo editing for example, can be achieved on a tablet. Though they are pitched for mainly media usage, modern tablets can now usually be upgraded with various downloadable software, to accommodate today’s hectic lifestyle. Likewise a tablet lends itself to being used somewhere other than on a traditional desk, or lap. With no legs protruding or base to balance on, a tablet can be used on the train or even in bed. Likewise, most users soon find the touch-screen approach much more user-friendly than a traditional touch pad or mouse once they get used to it.







But with every advantage comes a notable disadvantage too. The most obvious one to consumers is the comparably much higher cost. Though the cost of tablets will undoubtedly start to fall as they gain in popularity, at present tablets are very expensive when compared to similarly powerful notebooks or desktop counterparts. Also, the portability of a tablet could in fact be a disadvantage to clumsy users, as a simple crack or scratch on the screen could end the product’s lifespan early, and users definitely need to consider the ergonomic impact of using a handheld device like a tablet too.