We come to the final post in this series and third type of computing. The tablet has been around for many years, as much as a decade. But it was not until Steve Jobs introduced the iPad that this type of computing became popular.
The tablet is something everyone can use, I have seen children as young as 3 year old pick it up and use it with ease. It is great for reading e-books, playing games, reading/ writing emails, taking pictures, making short movies, the list is endless. Tablets are small, they come touch screen that range between 7 and 10 inches and they weigh about a pound. You can carry them with ease and hold them with just one hand, and they will last your up to 10 hours, which is equivalent to a full days usage with out you needing to charge it. From what I have said so far these tablets sound like they leave desktops and laptops in the dust, in a way they do, but lets look at some of the drawbacks to these computers.
Tablets are basically a thin computer with a big glass touch screen. They have a starting price point of $299 and can go up to as much as $999 depending on the screen size and the memory capacity you require, the average price of a tablet, (Apple iPad) is $499. These computers are very fragile and when a 5 year old is not paying attention they can drop and crack the screen of your brand new $500 computer.
As convenient as tablets are, they are not powerful machines. Programs that run on your desktop will not run on tablets, for example games with complex resolutions, professional photo editing programs like Photoshop have no place on the tablet. Writing a quick email is fine, but if you have to write a 10 page paper or an extensive article, it can be pretty demanding typing on a glass screen for a couple of hours. Of course there are accessories that you can purchase, like keyboards and mice to make it easier, but that almost takes away from the idea of the tablet.
Your computing experience can be fulfilled with a tablet without the purchase of desktop or laptop, but this would be for the individual that only needs it to make video calls, check a few emails or browse the internet. The tablet is really for the individual that has a desktop and does not need a laptop but wants to have an equivalent when it is necessary.
I pointed out the pros and cons of all three computers, and mind you everyone is completely differentness and we all have different requirements to get through our day. I hope this series will give you a better understanding of what is out there so you can make the most informed decision.
