Everyone has to travel at some point in their life and what multimedia device to bring with you is just as important as knowing what clothes to pack. But which multimedia device is ideal for travel, a laptop or a tablet? The best way to determine the solution is to weigh the pros and cons of each device.
The laptop, by its very nature, is portable and suitable for traveling. A major advantage of the laptop is its storage capabilities. A typical laptop can store an average of about 320 gigabytes: this is about six times more storage than a tablet.
Another major advantage the laptop has is its ability to allow the user to do real work. A user can run multiple tasks easily on the laptop without fear of crashing the operating system or the program he/she is using. Recently the tablet has been trying to present its users with multitask functions, but problems still arise with application crashes and with the difficulty in trying to use these functions. Typing long documents for work or leisure is far easier on the laptop than it is on the tablet; the victor in this debate is the laptop’s physical keyboard. However, the tablet has been making strides forward with keyboard accessories that can be attached via Bluetooth or by Universal Serial Bus (USB).
Even though the laptop has a lot of advantages, the tablet is still a contender in this debate. The tablet has the advantage of the e-reader. Reading books is a breeze on tablets; by swiping a finger across the screen, users are able to read dozens of books with ease. While traveling, battery life of a device is crucial to the traveler as electrical outlets and wattage varies from place to place.
The average laptop would only run for roughly three to four hours, with a few systems able to stretch it out to eight hours; but that still less than a tablet. If luggage weight restrictions are a concern, the tablet is the ideal multimedia device. The tablet is both light weight and compact enough to slide into a carry-on bag or purse. Although surfing online and social media are easy on the tablet: drop down menus and compatibility with flash players can pose some problems.
Both of the devices have their advantages and disadvantages and you can find out more about each by checking out the incredible selection available from companies such as Toshiba. The decision may still be difficult, so let’s introduce a tie breaker in this debate. Bill Siwicki, Managing Editor of Mobile Commerce, reports that in the first quarter of 2013, laptops dominated public Wi-Fi connections in airports by 35%: the tablet was not far behind at 28%. These numbers indicate that most travelers still depend on their laptops to connect with others, yet the tablet is on the rise and will continue to grow in years to come. Ultimately the decision to bring a device is completely up to the traveler. Depending on what type of trip the traveler is making will greatly determine what he/she will take.