10 Reasons to Leave the Tablet Home And Bring the PC On the Next Trip

1. Think About ProductivityThe nice thing about bringing a laptop on a trip is that it allows users to be productive. They can use a full operating system, like Windows and Mac OS X, and perform any task, ranging from surfing the Web to checking e-mail. On a tablet, some of those simple tasks are available, but not all of them. Tablets are great. But for productivity purposes, they fall short against laptops.

2. FragilityThe biggest issue with tablets is that if they’re not in a solid case, they can be damaged quite easily when traveling. The iPad, for example, has a big display on the front that, if dropped the wrong way, could shatter. Laptops, thanks to their clamshell design, naturally protect screens. It’s still not great to drop a laptop, but tablets can be more easily damaged.

3. A Better Browsing ExperienceLooking around the tablet space, it’s hard to find a single option, including the iPad 2, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, or BlackBerry PlayBook, that delivers an outstanding browsing experience. For one, the screens tend to be small on those devices, thus chopping off Web sites. And since many sites aren’t optimized for a tablet display, users will be forced to zoom in on content quite often just to read it. Tablet browsing is getting better, but it’s not on the same level as browsing on a notebook.

4. Staying Connected to the OfficeIn most cases, companies are using Windows computers. The reason for that is simple: the vast majority of enterprise solutions require Windows. Realizing that, it’s practically impossible for any person to leave a laptop at home if they plan on doing at least some work on the road. More business-focused apps are coming to tablets, including the iPad, but they’re slow to arrive, making laptops more valuable on a road trip.

5. The Keyboard MattersThere’s nothing more annoying than trying to type out documents on a tablet. Typically, the user’s hands become cramped when trying to type and mistakes ensue. On a laptop, however, typing out documents is far more efficient, thanks to the physical keyboard. If a user isn’t planning to type anything out over a long trip, then a tablet is fine. But if they are, a laptop is a better bet.

6. Storage, Storage, StorageOne of the things people like to do on vacations or road trips is take photos and videos. And once they do so, they like to bring those back to the hotel and download them to another device to free up space on their camcorders and cameras. The only issue is, tablets offer a finite amount of storage, and adding content to a device like the iPad requires a computer anyway. Simply put, if a user plans on snapping photos and images on their next trip, bringing a laptop with hundreds of gigabytes of storage that can accommodate the addition of that content isn’t a bad idea.

7. E-Mails And OfficeThere are two major issues with tablets: e-mail programs and document creation. As folks who own tablets know, e-mail programs on the devices tend to fall short. They’re too simple, don’t offer enough customization options, and can be a pain to use. And typing out documents in a platform like iWork, while nice for a while, doesn’t hold up against Office. If users are heavy e-mailers or need to create documents (and especially spreadsheets), laptops win out.

8. Don’t Tempt YourselfAlthough it’s not often cited as a problem for tablets, the fact that the tablet is designed for entertainment use should scare you. It’s nice to enjoy movies and television shows at home, but when on vacation, it’s a problem. It’s better to have a laptop that’s left in the hotel room, so it doesn’t distract you from the relaxation time you enjoy on vacation.

9. The Smartphone Is ThereSome folks might want to bring a tablet with them, since it runs a mobile operating system, like iOS or Android. However, don’t forget that smartphones are running those operating systems too, which means accessing applications is possible on both platforms. If users have a new, high-powered smartphone, users should just have that, and leave tablets at home.

10. A Question of UsabilityThere’s more than can be done with a laptop than a tablet in certain situations, as we’ve demonstrated. However, when those products are taken as a whole, it becomes much clearer why laptops are preferred. The devices come with bigger displays, they’re easy to get work done on, and they generally offer more applications for users to take advantage of. Tablets are nice, but when it comes to mobility, laptops are still king.