The reason I am even comparing these two is because I am in the market for one of them. With the price I am willing to spend (let's say between $400-$600) I can either afford a tablet or a desktop with monitor. Of course I know there are cheaper tablets available and more expensive desktop computers on the market. What I want to do is create a concise lists of the pros and cons of each and evaluate my own needs and wants.
I'm going to start with the obvious.
The Pros of a tablet are:
- Portable
- Convenient
- Instant accessibility
The Cons of a tablet are:
- Short battery life
- Heats up quickly
The Pros of a desktop computer:
- Durability
- Workhouse
- Add-ons (upgradeable, fixable)
- Resale value
The Cons of a desktop computer:
- Non-portable
- Heavy, big, space-taking
I know if I was going to compare a specific tablet brand/ model with a specific computer brand/model I would need to go into the technical specifications. I realize this, and you should always check this before purchasing anything, but in my post I wanted to take a broad and logical view. What are my needs? What do I want to do with it? Etc.
The love the idea of being able to carry a gadget around where I can connect to the Internet, watch movies on the go and enjoy the net at my leisure. It's not heavy and it does the typical things. Realizing how quickly it can heat up I don't plan to use it for many hours at a time and even if I do, the battery life won't hold up. I am keeping in mind that once I buy it it's mine and there isn't much resale value because once a battery dies it's not worth the price of battery. Or if something goes wrong I can't easily buy parts to fix it and it's a throwaway. Basically I would buy it for entertainment value.
Now with a desktop computer (or maybe a laptop), I know it's a workhouse. I can enjoy the Internet and when I really need it for work I can count on it. Imagine trying to type with one of those flimsy things used on a tablet? Nope. I know I can use it for many hours and intend to keep it for a long time. I can upgrade it or fix it with parts. It's durable and I would buy it for usage value.
Personally, I'm leaning towards a desktop. And even if I do buy a tablet it would be an entry-level, cheaper one. Whether you're in the market for a tablet or desktop, I hope my post helps. I'm in the same boat! Remember, do you see yourself using it mainly for entertainment or as a staple work equipment in you home?
I'm using these images for visuals only. My posts talks about tablets and desktops in general. If you would like to learn more about information about them, just click on the pictures.
This...
Or
This?
