By: Ahmed Namek

Remember what it was like when tablets were first introduced to the markets? It was such a new and marvelous invention! We couldn’t wait to explore it!

Nowadays,  tablets have become largely popular due to their mobility and usual user-friendly interface. Thus, a lot of people are thinking, “Should I buy a tablet or should I stick to a good old-fashioned laptop?”

Well, there isn’t really a “best” option in general. However, we can sum up the main points for you according to what you intend to use that device for. So, allow us to show you the technical and user-related side of the comparison.

*Prices listed in the article are the ones provided when the article was published, and they are subject to change according to supply and demand of the market.

(1) Keyboard vs. Touchscreen:

Alright, so the first thing we notice about tablets is that they’re touchscreen devices, meaning that a typical laptop’s keyboard is not “always” an option when it comes to on-the-go usage.

This is both a blessing and a curse; touchscreens are very good when it comes to pointing at things, moving items on the screen, drawing, or making a layout for something, choosing from an already-made list, etc.

However, when it comes to typing, you usually have to use a virtual keyboard or a Bluetooth or USB one, and that kind of defeats the purpose of having a tablet.

Laptops have more user-friendly QWERTY keyboards, and they are easier to use when typing down thoughts, a document, or even a review like this one.

Verdict:

Tablets for people who use point-controls a lot (browsing, designing, drawing, etc.).

Laptops for those who type a lot (E-mails, documents,essays, etc.).

(2) Battery Life:

This is more technical than other points.

Hardware inside a laptop is usually more powerful than that inside of a tablet; more powerful means more power, also means less battery time.

If you take a look inside a tablet, the majority of its interior would be the battery, while a laptop has to make space for a lot more things inside of it due to its hardware superiority.

So, no matter how you look at it, a tablet’s battery life-span would always surpass a laptop’s.

If you look at averages, a current tablet’s battery would last around 8-10 hours while being used, while a current laptop’s would not go past 4-5 hours tops, and again, this all due to hardware choices.

Verdict:

Tablets for people who need a device to be working without charging for more than 6 hours.

(3) Software and Operating Systems:

Tablets and laptops have a vast difference when it comes to how their operating systems work. We have MAC or Windows for most laptops, and Android or iOS for most tablets.

This, in itself, is a vast difference. While Windows and Mac are very comprehensive and can run almost any software, the same cannot be said about Android and iOS. If you go to any software’s download website, 100% of the time you’ll find a link for Windows and Mac versions, but you won’t always be able to find Android- or iOS-compatible versions.

Also, due to the aforementioned hardware limitations, even tablets running Windows like the Microsoft Surface Pro or the Lenovo Idea Pad are still not going to perform on the same level as a laptop using the same operating oystem.

Check out Lenovo Idea Pad from here. 

Verdict:

Laptops for people who run advanced software or hardware-demanding software (3D Max-Editing Programs).

(4) Size and Mobility:

This is a point that a lot of decisions come down to.

The laptop’s hardware edge comes at a cost — a weight cost. Most laptops are heavier than any tablet out there; tablets are smaller, lighter, and require less baggage to move around.

That said, newer laptops have cut down on weight big-time, but the hardware and heating problem still remains. For instance, an Apple MacBook Air 11 hardly weighs anything more than a paper, but still it needs cooling and requires charging very often.

Combined with the battery life point we’ve cleared out before, a tablet would be more appropriate if you need a device that can fit in your pocket.

Check out Apple MacBook Air from here.

Verdict:

Tablets if you care more about weight and size and want to have something with you everywhere you go without requiring upper-body strength.

(5) Storage:

Another thing to consider when buying one of these devices is the storage capabilities.

Tablets depend more on SSD (Solid State Drives) for storage, limiting their storage amount considerably. However, with laptops, any low- or mid-tier laptop can easily get 500 GBs of storage on it.

Tablets are stuck with a basic of 16-128 GBs of storage space. Sometimes it offers an external memory card slot to expand it, however.

Laptops have such a lead in this field, plus the USB slots that can enable external hard drives to connect, expanding its storage space infinitely.

Verdict:

Laptops for people who have a lot of data they want to keep and care about storage and having a data base.

(6) Cost:

This is yet another important aspect of making the choice when buying any electrical devices nowadays.

It’s kind of difficult to compare between laptops and tablets regarding their pricing, because there are many different tiers of devices out there, depending on the brand name, release date, and technology used.

• For something around 1500-3000 LE you can get some laptops and tablets like: (Low-Tier)

You Can Check Out iLife Zed Air Laptop from here.

or You Can Check Out Sary Book Laptop from here.

or You Can Check Out Lenovo Tab3 TB-710 from here.

or You Can Check Out Asus Zen Pad C7 from here.

• For something around 3500-7000 LE you can get some laptops and tablets like: (Mid-Tier)

You Can Check Out HP 255 G5 Laptop from here.

or You Can Check Out HP 15AY – 019 Laptop from here.

or You Can Check Out Lenovo Yoga 10 Tablet from here.

or You Can Check Out iPad Air Wi-Fi Tablet from here.

• And for the big spenders, you can get the top-tier laptops or tablets like: (High-Tier)

You Can Check Out AIeinWare 14 Laptop from here. 

or You Can Check Out AlienWare 17 Laptop from here.

or You Can Check Out Apple iPad Pro 9.7 Tablet from here.

or You Can Check Out Apple iPad Pro 12.7 Tablet from here.

P.S.: Note that all these devices are available to check out and compare prices on Yaoota.

Verdict:

Laptops and Tablets are at a tie.

Every tier has its pricing, and you can find anything you want (according to your needs) at the price suitable for it.

Final Verdict:

While laptops don’t offer as much mobility or ease-of-use as tablets do, they can make up for it with their hardware strength dominance, alongside their high storage and software availability. They come out on top when it comes to heavy-duty hardware intensive work.

On the other hand, the long battery life and mobility of the tablet and its ease of access, alongside its constant updates and many ports of software from computers, crown tablets as kings of on-the-move usage.

If you want some more details on the devices mentioned here, there will be another article going through technical details and exploring deeper into their specs. Make sure to give it a read if you’re interested in buying any of them.

We hope this has been a useful run-down of what you should consider when buying a laptop or a tablet.