What are the main differences?
Memory – or Ram space:
The less RAM a device has, the more often it will need to dump old
information from its memory. You’ll see this when you return to an old browsing
tab or jump from a game to email and back. Less RAM means these apps will need
to refresh more often—a minor nuisance that can become particularly irritating
to the avid multi-tasker.
Maybe a couple tablets have 4GB of RAM which is actually
a solid amount for a tablet, but nothing special next to what most laptops
provide.(Note that flash memory can help out when RAM runs out, but it is
slower.)
Storage: With
laptops, more storage is practically free. People still want a device
where they can dump their 30,000 photos or entire digital music collection
without thinking—a fundamental problem for the tablet.
Since 2013, the average tablet’s display has boasted 218
pixels per inch—pretty crisp for devices that tend to measure from 7 to 11
inches, diagonally. Among popular
laptops, the average pixel density sits at a measly 116 pixels per inch, which
is nothing special in 2014. But even
after factoring in typical screen sizes (about nine inches for a tablet, 13 for
a laptop), the tablet still wins handily.
It’s worth noting that 10 hours is by far the most
common vendor-reported battery life for tablets. The average laptop lasts about 6 hours, compare
that to tablets.
Virtually every laptop on the market (in 2013 and 2014)
has a USB port, we found, compared to only 27 percent of modern tablets. The closest thing to a standard on tablets is
the micro-USB, which you can find on 57% of devices. That’s progress, but
that’s nothing like good ol' USB.
The laptop remains safe—for now. In three out of five
productivity specs, the tablet failed to compete. but the tablet is making progress, riding its
battery-life advantage and banking on new technologies to overcome its
remaining deficiencies.
Which
are the best in their category?
