Can a Tablet Replace Your Laptop? Here are Your Choices

SFIO CRACHO

As tablets grow more powerful and useful, it’s difficult to know whether or not a tablet could replace your laptop. In the end, it just depends on your needs.

The Line Between Tablets and Laptops is Blurring

Year by year, the world of tablets and the world of laptops are slowly converging. Microsoft’s Surface tablets run Windows OS, and the new iPad Pro is faster than 92% of all laptops. At the same time, modern laptops have touchscreens, and some 2-in-1 laptops promise the power of a laptop with the convenience of a tablet.

With all of this in mind, it’s hard to know if a tablet’s worth buying, especially if you’re considering a tablet as an alternative to a laptop.

First thing’s first, you should ask yourself what you use a laptop for. Do you use it for entertainment, or do you use it for work? Do you like to run software like Photoshop, or do you do everything in the browser? While some tablets are great for resource-heavy professional work, others are best suited for casual work and entertainment.

You should also ask yourself how much money you’re willing to spend. Tablets consistently have lower specs than similarly-priced laptops, and you generally have to dip your toes into the $700+ range to find a tablet that can run Photoshop, professional video software, or resource-hungry games. Of course, you could always spend less if you’re just trying to watch Netflix or do browser-based work on a tablet.

The Surface Tablet: A Laptop in Disguise

Microsoft’s Surface tablets are basically just laptops with a detachable keyboard and a touchscreen. They run on Windows 10, they’re compatible with all Windows software and hardware (mice, keyboards, etc.), and they can even connect to an external monitor for a desktop-like experience.

So, a Surface tablet is the go-to laptop alternative for Photoshop nerds, PC gamers, Netflix addicts, or dedicated Windows users. The thing is, most Surface tablets are low-spec machines, which may not be ideal for some people. If you want a Surface tablet that can handle resource-hungry software (like Photoshop), then you’ll have to shell out some serious cash.

As an example, the $700 Surface Pro tablet (without the $100 Surface pen) only comes with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of solid-state storage. Those aren’t ideal specs for video editing, photo editing, or gaming. In contrast, the similarly priced (but often discounted) Lenovo S145-15IWL laptop comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of solid-state storage—and it has a bigger screen to boot. On the opposite side of that coin, the larger screen, and beefier specs also make it less portable.

Now the price disparity is only important if you need a tablet that can serve as a direct replacement to a high-spec laptop. If you’re just trying to browse the web, write, watch videos, or work with Google docs, then a low-spec Surface tablet (like the Surface Go or an older Surface tablet) will work just fine.