subject: Five reasons why tablets won't be replacing your laptop any time soon [print this page] Five reasons why tablets won't be replacing your laptop any time soon
The year 2011 is expected to be the year of the tablet, with new models expected to flood the market and give the current tablet front runner, the Apple iPad, some stiff competition in mobile technology. The Motorola Xoom and the RIM Playbook are just some of the highly anticipated releases in the upcoming months, meanwhile the iPad 2 has Apple fans lining up to add to their collection of gadgets and gizmos.
However, while many see tablets becoming a preferred mobile computing device it's hard to say that traditional laptops, and even desktops, will be replaced by these new machines, at least not anytime soon.
Here's five reasons why:
1. DVD/CD and multimedia for in-flight entertainment and personal viewing, the laptop is still a great way to take your favourite movies on the go. Meanwhile, for those who still love to collect physical albums, you'll need the laptop's CD player to import your songs into your iPod or other mp3 device.
2. Expandable memory need to save a file on a USB stick? You won't be able to just yet with the tablet computers. Meanwhile, if you're looking for more memory especially for photos, music and movie files, you'll be hard pressed to condense your entire multimedia collection into the memory limitations of the tablet.
3. Input tablets are great for browsing and reading, but if you're looking to input extensive amounts of data, a solid keyboard and mouse system is still preferred. While there are Bluetooth keyboards available to work with tablets, many will still want the ability to create an entire semi-permanent workstation around their laptop - while still being able to take their machine on the go.
4. Physical Limitations the inability to extract the battery out of most tablets also limits their ability to truly be disconnected machines you won't be able to take along an extra battery pack for emergencies. You'll also be limited in the accessories you'll be able to connect to your tablet such as printers, external monitors or an Ethernet connection.
5. Software limitations - while the availability of tablet applications means there's an app to do practically anything, the tablet environment is still comparatively limited. If you're looking to do serious video editing or need a database processor, a tablet likely won't cut it. Meanwhile, if you're keen to install the latest PC game like Total War Shogun 2, a tablet will do little more than show you a pretty picture of the box.
For those looking to get their hands on the latest technology, there's always the option of having both! Consider an iPad bundled with your Samsung laptop rental so you can enjoy the mobile flexibility of the tablet with the more advanced features of your laptop.
