The 21st century is the century of mobile technologies and open workspaces. No one is surprised by a person working at a table in a cafe or in the fresh air, sitting on his favorite bench. But a laptop, for all its merits, is not the most convenient tool for working on the go. A small amount of battery life, large dimensions, inconvenience of transportation – these are the main disadvantages that can force a modern user to pay attention to more mobile devices. Modern tablets and netbooks have enough functionality to work with most types of files, surf the Internet or watch media content. So which is better: a tablet or a netbook? We will try to answer this question in this article.
Let’s compare
Is it possible to compare a tablet and a netbook? Given that these are completely different devices based on completely different principles of operation, they can only be compared in terms of the appropriateness of use. Judge for yourself – if the tablet can be conditionally called an enlarged copy of a smartphone, then the netbook is the younger brother of the laptop. Hence all the differences:
- Form Factor The tablet is made in the form of a monoblock with a touch screen, not equipped with a keyboard and mouse, but it has all the necessary functions to control the device using a sensor. A netbook can be conditionally called a reduced laptop.
- Operating system. Netbooks use the same OS versions as their "big brothers" – laptops and stationary PCs. At the same time, mobile operating systems are installed on tablets, which are used mainly on smartphones.
- Device stuffing. Considering that OS on netbooks are more demanding on resources, their hardware stuffing is an order of magnitude higher than on tablets.
- Performance. Netbook OS hardware requirements provide similar functionality to tablets with less powerful hardware. Therefore, you should not compare only the hardware performance of devices.
- Price. Since the price in most cases depends on the manufacturer, you can find both cheap netbooks and expensive tablets. The same with the same characteristics, but under different labels are different. So there is no point in comparing prices.
As you can see, although these devices are completely different, in general their functionality is very similar and the feasibility of using each of these devices should be considered in the context of the tasks.
Work and planning
Needless to say, mobile devices are great organizers? A diary, a to-do list and plans, creating projects, controlling mail and email messages – all this on the go, in a convenient format. That’s what the modern business man needs. The best solution in this regard is a tablet. The screen is large enough for comfortable work, but mobile enough to always have it at hand. The tablet is ideal as a tool for organizing the work and personal time of a specialist of any level.
In addition, editing any document, including those stored in the cloud, is a breeze with a tablet. The device has all the necessary functions for this. At the same time, the speed of working with documents is an order of magnitude higher than that of netbooks.
Using a tablet will allow you to always stay online with partners, control your contact list and sort them in a way convenient for you. And this is all, mind you, in one small device that fits perfectly into a jacket pocket. So, in the question of what is better: a tablet or a netbook for work, the tablet PC takes the first place.
Student computer
What else are mobile devices used for? For study. After all, carrying one compact device for solving various problems is much more convenient than filling backpacks with tons of textbooks and notebooks.
Yes, and specialized programs can greatly facilitate the learning process. Which is better: tablet or netbook for study? It all depends on where you study. It is obvious that students use specialized programs for calculations and design, which are almost impossible to find for tablets. Hence the conclusion – netbooks are much better for studying. Yes, and schoolchildren are more likely to prefer netbooks – more convenient to use, with a large set of programs (moreover, familiar from working with a desktop PC), they are ideal for facilitating the learning process. Concentrating learning materials, special applications and computing tools, netbooks are the optimal choice for any student.
While netbooks are no different in terms of tasks to be solved than laptops, their longer battery life and smaller size make them more suitable for active use throughout the school day. So, for example, a netbook is much easier to carry around when you have to travel to school every day across the city. And the battery life will allow you to work on a netbook all school day.
It’s fun time
Let’s talk about entertainment. Suppose you are quite satisfied with working with text and surfing the Internet. Then a tablet will be enough for you and there is no need to purchase a netbook. One question remains: which is better: a tablet or a netbook for gaming? Tablets were originally developed as devices for surfing the Internet, watching videos and photos, editing simple documents. And all this in mobile mode. But the devices have evolved and acquired more and more functionality. The hardware stuffing of modern tablet PCs is quite enough to work with three-dimensional applications, even those that are very demanding on hardware resources. Plus, the popularity of modern mobile platforms has attracted a large number of game developers, which has increased the popularity of tablets as gaming platforms.
This was the impetus for the transformation of tablets into a universal means of entertainment. As we have already said, the performance of tablets and netbooks is approximately on the same level. But playing on the screen of a netbook is not very convenient, while the touch screen of a tablet PC allows you to fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the game. Add in the fact that the most popular PC games are being ported to mobile platforms, and the obvious conclusion is that tablets are better for gaming. And for any other types of entertainment too.
What to choose for a child
In just a couple of months, the New Year will knock on all doors. And that means it’s time for gifts. Which is better: a tablet or a netbook for a child? This question is very relevant for those who want to give their child a device for study and entertainment, mobile, but at the same time quite functional. What is more important to you: the ability to perform professional computing or entertainment and convenience? And if the first is useful to your child only at the university and, possibly, in high school, then entertainment is always relevant, and ease of use will only please your child. Accordingly, the best solution as a gift for a child will be a tablet PC. And here’s what he gets with the tablet:
- "Universal textbook" compact size. The tablet can be used as a "reader" by loading all the necessary textbooks and literature into the device’s memory.
- Notebook and lecture notes. The built-in text editor allows you to save any amount of text using formatting. If the virtual keyboard is inconvenient for typing, you can always purchase an external keyboard accessory.
- A whole entertainment center for relaxation after school.
Believe me, any child will be happy with such a gift. A high-tech toy with a large number of functions will allow you to "combine business with pleasure." Permanent access to educational resources, control of the learning process, tools for calculations and homework accounting – all this will make the tablet an ideal tool for optimizing the learning process. And, given that we found out above that a tablet is better suited for games, the choice is obvious – it is a tablet that should be given to a child.
Summing up
Which is better: tablet or netbook or laptop, or maybe limited to a desktop PC? It all depends on what goals you are pursuing. If you prefer to work at home, over a cup of coffee, then a desktop PC is perfect for you, allowing you to perform absolutely any task. If you ever take your computer out of the apartment at least sometimes, then a laptop will be the best choice. Slightly less productive, but powerful enough for a wide range of tasks, including high-performance games. Note that we deliberately do not specify the goals – these computers are able to satisfy any need, having a huge computing potential, a relatively large screen and ease of use.
Let’s look at the goals and tasks that your device should perform. Do you use applications that are not on mobile platforms (development environments, complex CAD systems and other specialized software packages)? If yes, then you will have to choose a netbook that uses a "desktop" OS. It is quite balanced in terms of mobility and functionality (but not performance, as mentioned above). Able to solve the same range of tasks as a laptop, albeit less quickly. But what to choose if such programs are not used? Of course a tablet. The convenience of these devices is due to the fact that they are actually enlarged copies of smartphones, with all the pluses and minuses that follow from this. Minus one – a limited set of programs, and it is insignificant, as we decided. The whole sea of u200bu200bpluses is a large number of applications, not associated with complex calculations. A huge number of games. Convenience when working with media content. Convenient Internet surfing. Convenient use as an e-book.
Thanks to modern trends in the development of mobile platforms, increasing the quality of components of modern devices and increasing their performance, we can safely say that tablet PCs are just starting to grow, gradually displacing their main competitors – netbooks. Considering that there are tablets that support full-featured operating systems of the Windows family, and the fact that external keyboards for tablet PCs have flooded the market, it is worth talking about the complete dominance of these devices in the mobile computer market, which are gradually replacing netbooks from the market.