Can a tablet replace a laptop? The best tablets that can replace a laptop

There are some charms to the fact that today we, in fact, live in the very “future” that we were promised. True, flying cars and robots have not yet been brought to Mars.

But every person has a miniature computer in their pocket, the power of which is hundreds of times greater than the power of the systems that once launched Apollo to the Moon.

From mobile computer Today there can be much more benefit than looking at photos with cats and chatting with friends. Modern tablets are rapidly gaining popularity, while the demand for desktop computers is declining quite steadily.

Can a tablet today become a full-fledged desktop computer, provided that the user does not infringe on himself in his usual activities? Is it possible to send desktops to the dustbin of history by replacing bulky system units with sleek tablets? This is what we tried to figure out.

Iron Throne

So, before moving on to the selection of programs that will serve as an alternative to the usual Microsoft Office, let's immediately resolve the issue of energy. A desktop computer is connected to a power outlet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; its battery problem does not concern it at all. In turn, most tablets are equipped with a single microUSB port. Once you put the system on charge, you physically cannot connect anything else to it. There are, of course, a few exceptions, but the strict need to recharge your computer from time to time will certainly transform your usual work schedule.

Problem #2 – sensory screen keyboard. You can, of course, buy a tablet with a plug-in keyboard module, and fans Apple iPad probably the famous “Apple” keyboard case. If, for one reason or another, you don’t want to have anything to do with a physical keyboard, you’ll have to spend some time getting used to the touch keyboard (which can be especially difficult for people who have spent their entire lives using the conventional text input method). However, all of the above is purely a matter of habit and some training.

As for working in multitasking mode, after a short practice you immediately understand how much more convenient the tablet is stationary system. All bookmarks can be easily switched with a finger; music and movies can also be started and stopped with a slight movement of the hand. If you search, some functions can even be “reassigned” to a click of your fingers.

Finger to the sky

Office workers, and indeed everyone who has to work with documents, will not be disappointed either. If you take any Apple tablet, then the store AppStore applications literally full of text editors. For entering text, for example, it is very convenient to use iaWriter, and for design, the Pages editor is suitable, allowing you to format texts and provide them with pictures. In addition, both services synchronize with iCloud, so they are convenient to use with other Apple devices. Finally, you can simply buy the iWork office suite, which even supports working with graphs and tables.

Working with texts on a tablet running Windows is even easier: local users simply have access to the good old Microsoft Office, which is transferred to the mobile platform without any special changes. Users of Android tablets are also not deprived of text editors - take, for example, the comprehensive OfficeSuite package. Another advantage of using a computer running an operating system from the Good Corporation is great amount free applications for every taste.

What you will have to tinker with is printing documents. Apparently, there is no easy way to connect a tablet to a printer directly - this is especially true for Apple tablet users, who will most likely have to find and buy a special printer. Synchronizing Windows tablets with printers is also not ideal, especially if you work with not the most latest models. Tablets for Android control Connecting to a printer sometimes requires actions that are qualified by experienced users as “dancing with a tambourine.”

The question of networks

What tablets do amazingly well is social activity. If you spend a lot of time on social networks, it will be much more convenient for you to do this using mobile computers than desktop ones. Messaging apps, quick visits to social media and for working with blogs and microblogs for all three platforms there are a dime a dozen, and you can launch a separate series of articles about them. Again, touch monitor allows you to switch between applications and windows much faster, edit photos and write comments. The built-in camera of the tablet will be useful for fans of social networks for quickly posting selfies, photos of food, people, landscapes, etc. on Instagram or Facebook.

It is not surprising that tablets have a huge number of programs for photo processing and even video editing. However, people who edit large videos or even films are unlikely to leave desktop computers. Full workstation The “tablet” cannot yet be replaced due to technical limitations. If your interests are limited to photo processing, then all platforms have the familiar Photoshop or.

There are no problems with music and movies either: iTunes, Apple Store and Microsoft Store provide any materials you are interested in. Netflix apps, Google Play Music, YouTube and much more will allow you to do whatever your heart desires around the clock. In addition, many people find a tablet more convenient for web surfing - if you feel more comfortable interacting with Internet pages with your finger than with a mouse. On the other hand, it is not always convenient to open small drop-down menus, or click on small icons without affecting others.

Sum of technologies

As for games, any tablet is unconditionally inferior to a desktop computer, unless your interests are not Angry Birds and other similar “time killers”. Games for mobile electronics are simple, primitive, rarely interesting, but they willingly extract money from you. If one day you decide to completely abandon your desktop computer, you will have to forget about regularly released hits with gorgeous graphics. Most of the leading game developers today are just looking at tablets and producing simple crafts for them.

In conclusion, we can say that modern Tablet PC, in general, can replace a stationary one, however, only for the most regular user. Professionals who create certain high-quality materials who require computing power and big choice peripherals will never give up a full-fledged desktop system, no matter how many programs and cores there are in the “tablet”.

Instead of buying a new laptop, you can upgrade your old one: a competent upgrade will save money and make your laptop almost as fast as the latest generation laptops.

After removing the bottom cover of the laptop, all its components become accessible. In some models there are several small covers with icons that will help you understand which device you will have access to.

Large memory capacity, high performance, fast work in wireless networks - you don't have to buy a new laptop to get all this. Replacing several laptop components will help you avoid buying a new and expensive one. Serious laptop upgrade, especially relatively older models, is produced without problems, since almost all the main components for them (processor, HDD, RAM, wireless communication module) are commercially available. The motherboard specification imposes certain restrictions. You can only select a processor of the socket that yours belongs to. motherboard. The main requirement for RAM modules and hard drive is compatibility with motherboard, so before you start choosing components for your laptop, search on the Internet (for example, on the manufacturer’s website or Yandex.Market) specifications your model, or install the FinalWire program on your laptop, which will help get information about laptop hardware. In the vast majority of cases, the video card cannot be updated, since it is integrated into the motherboard.

Before disassemble laptop, you should understand which components of the laptop cause its poor performance.

RAM

If your laptop slows down only in cases where many programs are running at the same time, or when opening files big size, it clearly lacks RAM. As a result, the operating system is forced to continuously save data on the hard drive, which is subsequently read from it. All this greatly slows down the computer. It is recommended to increase the amount of memory if your Windows XP laptop has less than 1 GB of RAM installed. If we're talking about about Vista or Windows OS, it would be wiser to install at least 2-3 GB. Using 4 GB or more makes sense only in cases where you have a 64-bit version of the OS installed.

Today on sale you can find RAM modules of DDR1, DDR2 and DDR3 standards (although the first type is much less common), working on various clock speeds. The CPU-Z utility will help you determine the type and characteristics of the installed RAM, and will also tell you how many modules are located under the case cover. Maximum performance you will get if you have two identical RAM modules installed with the same timings (CAS Latency), now in stores it is easy to find such kits, 2 modules of 1 GB or 2 modules of 2 GB.

HDD

If your laptop takes more than two to three minutes to boot into the OS, you should first perform an audit installed programs and remove unnecessary ones from the autorun list, which will help you free program CCleaner or free PC Decrapifier utility. If this doesn't help, the problem may be with the hard drive itself. Budget laptops for the mass market they are often equipped with rather slow HDDs. The maximum increase in operating speed - even greater than when replacing the central processor or RAM - can be achieved by installing solid state drive. True, buying an SSD cannot yet be called a budget solution, but now you can already find quite affordable models costing about 3,000 rubles. (for example, OCZ company), but when using an SDD disk, do not forget to optimize the OS: disable or transfer swap files to another disk, turn off defragmentation, indexing and other services (for this you can use SSD program Tweaker).

compromise between high speed operation of the SSD drive and large capacity classic HDD is hybrid drive Seagate Momentus XT. However, if your laptop was manufactured in 2006–2007 or even earlier, then most likely it is equipped with an IDE interface for connecting a hard drive, which can be precisely determined using the same Everest utility. Hard drives with an IDE interface are quite rare on sale today, and their maximum capacity is 320 GB. In addition, their cost per gigabyte is almost twice as much as that of models with a SATA interface.

CPU

The fact that the laptop processor is outdated is indicated to the user by delays during system operation and when playing video files. high definition. Before deciding on replacing the processor in a laptop, You should find out on the official website of Intel or AMD the type of socket (processor socket), as well as the maximum power consumption level of your CPU. These parameters of the new processor must be identical to those of the old component.

Also note that if we are only talking about slow HD video playback on an old laptop, then a simpler alternative would be to equip it with a Broadcom Crystal HD hardware decoder, which is installed in a free Mini slot PCI Express and deals exclusively with hardware acceleration of high-definition video playback. You can purchase it on the eBay online auction for prices starting from $40 (1,120 rubles), but this method is not suitable for owners of laptops produced before 2008.

Wi-Fi module

If you are tired of the slowness of your laptop in wireless network, should replace Wi-fi module. It is also recommended to replace this component for security reasons, since the chip released a long time ago, instead of the current WPA2 encryption algorithm, only supports WPA or outdated WEP. The maximum increase in connection speed and communication range will be provided by installing a WLAN module modern standard 802.11n. As a rule, for a mobile computer manufactured in 2006–2007 and older, you will need a Mini PCI module, and for newer laptops, a Mini PCI Express module. In the latter case, I recommend Intel 6200 or three antenna Intel option 6300.

Blu-ray drive

To install a Blu-ray drive, your laptop must have enough powerful processor, level not lower than Core 2 Duo. This is the main, but not the only condition - the screen resolution must be at least 1280x720 pixels. It makes sense to install this type drive also if the laptop is equipped with an HDMI connector for connecting to a TV. The cost of a Bluray drive in the Slim Line form factor today is about 4,000 rubles, but this will be of interest to enthusiasts who want to save money on buying a Bluray player for their LCD or plasma TV.

Battery

Replacing the battery in a laptop is not difficult, just type your laptop model and the word “battery” into a search engine and you will find it in stores as an analogue original battery, and the battery increased capacity. Over time, laptop batteries inevitably lose their capacity, reducing the time battery life. New battery may cost 3500 rubles. and higher, especially for older models.

Selecting components for upgrading a laptop

RAM, hard disks and Blu-ray drives for laptops are standard hardware that can be purchased at almost any computer store. However, keep in mind that components of outdated standards are much more expensive than modern components. Therefore, it hardly makes sense to purchase a new hard drive if your laptop is equipped with an IDE interface. Today, a 320GB model with this legacy connector costs more than a 750GB SATA drive.

The same can be said about RAM modules: 1 GB of DDR1 standard today is more expensive than 4 GB of memory of the current DDR3 standard. The situation is more complicated with the possibility of purchasing a central processor: in stores, as a rule, you can only find modern models. Nevertheless, you can still find processors from previous years on the Internet and in markets, for example Core 2 Duo/Quad. Products of even more advanced age (meaning WLAN modules and single-core processors) will have to be purchased second-hand, but their price, as a rule, turns out to be quite affordable.

Replacing components of an old laptop

To work, you will need a Phillips screwdriver, thermal paste and some alcohol. Location components Using the Samsung P10 laptop as an example, it is shown in the photograph. The most simple procedure An upgrade is a replacement of RAM modules: unscrew the bottom cover of the laptop and remove the module from the slot by pressing the latches on both sides and sliding the component to the side opposite the slot. Installing a new memory module is quite simple: you need to insert it into the slot, press it against the laptop body and secure the latches.

If you bought a new hard drive or SSD drive, you should immediately purchase a separate case for it with a USB connector. Install new disk into this case and connect it to the laptop. Using an imaging program such as Acronis True Image, Paragon Drive Copy or any other data archiving program, transfer the contents of the old drive to the new one. After this, you can replace the drive and start the laptop with your operating system and complete package installed programs.

Before you begin replacing the processor, you should update the BIOS to the latest firmware version, which is available for download on the manufacturer's website. Otherwise, if the motherboard cannot recognize the new CPU, the computer simply will not start. Don’t forget to buy another tube of thermal paste along with the processor (domestic, proven KPT-8). You can remove the processor itself by turning the fixing screw counterclockwise (see photo). Clean the layer of thermal conductive paste, removing any residue with alcohol or glass cleaner if necessary. Now you can install a new processor and, after applying new thermal paste to its surface, mount the cooler.

At replacing the WLAN module You should check how many antennas there are in the old component of your laptop. One antenna allows communication with a data transfer rate of no more than 150 Mbit/s, two - 300 Mbit/s. To operate at 450 Mbps, you need the latest wireless module connected to three antennas. To replace the old module, remove the antenna plugs, press both holders outward, then pull the module up and carefully remove it. Inserting new module, align it with the guides and connect the antennas. The Blu-ray drive easily replaces your laptop's old optical drive. To do this, unscrew the screws securing the drive at the bottom of the housing and remove it. There is a holder at the back of the drive that must be removed from the old component and screwed onto the new one. In most cases, by first pulling out the tray, you can detach the front panel from the old optical device and move it to the new drive. Then slide it into place, tighten the screws, and you're done.

Installing RAM

Small RAM slots. RAM modules for laptops have the SO-DIMM form factor - they are half the size of conventional modules for desktop PCs.

The procedure for replacing modules: to remove the old memory module, you must press the latches on both sides. The new one must be inserted into the slot and pressed until it clicks.

Installing a Hard Drive

Extraction. When the bottom cover is open, unscrew the screws securing the hard drive chassis and disconnect the cable (most often, a plastic clip is used to secure the cable, which must be lifted up).

Install the new drive in the chassis of the old one and mount it in the old location.

CPU replacement

The processor is secured with a screw. CPU is mounted differently in a laptop than a similar component in a desktop computer. Here, to dismantle it, you will need to unscrew a special screw.

Replacing thermal paste. It is necessary to evenly distribute a thin layer of thermal paste over the entire surface of the chip for better heat transfer between the processor and the radiator of its cooler.

Replacing an old Wi-Fi module with a WLAN

WLAN module. A Mini PCI Express expansion card with an 802.11n WLAN module can have three connectors for connecting antennas (on the left).

Installing a Wi-Fi module. Like the RAM stick, the WLAN module must first be inserted into the guides and then a downward force must be applied.

Blu-ray drive

Removing the old DVD drive. After unscrewing the fastening screw, the optical drive is easily removed from the laptop case.

You need to install the holder and front panel on the new drive before you begin mounting the DVD or Blu-Ray drive into the mobile computer case.

Due to my main job (as a cook), I am rarely at home and type articles mostly on the go. I work 12-13 hours a day, 5 days a week, but since I decided to blog and write articles for the site, I often have to write articles on the way home or during breaks at work, actively maintain an account on Twitter, As a result, I more often use an iPad mini and iPhone 5 tablet rather than a laptop for work.

A lot of articles have already been written about the Post-PC era. Only the lazy one didn’t write on his blog that he switched from working on a PC to a tablet. But, as time has shown, they still most often work on computers, while tablets work on multimedia tasks and entertain them away from home.

Now I will briefly describe to you the main areas of my work on a laptop. I used to work on Windows 10, but I was disappointed in the system because I didn’t find a good and minimalistic one text editor, decided to go to work in virtual machine with OS X Yosemite on board, and already in it I type articles in the iA Writer Pro program. I also spend a lot of time in the applications Tweetbot (Twitter client), Reeder (News application), Chrome (browser), and these applications were open in parallel on three or four different desktops. In addition, the daily tools included Photoshop and Pixelmator, programs for delayed reading, task managers, and instant messengers. Sometimes I let my brain rest by playing Hearthstone and FIFA 15. The first thing I thought was that full replacement all this diversity – you can’t count on iOS, it was a mistaken opinion. Well, in general, first things first.

I gave my relative a laptop for temporary use; he needed to type up a diploma. After a couple of days of using the iPad, I noticed an interesting trend. The programs that I used in OS X I also used on iOS without any problems.

Tweetbot for Mac – Tweetbot for iOS, I didn’t feel almost any changes, the only negative is that for iOS there are no notifications for new tweets.

Reeder for OS X – Reeder for iOS. Reeder is probably the app whose versions are almost identical for iOS and OS X. If you need a good RSS reader, then this is the app you need.

Chrome for Mac - replaced it with Safari, I did not download Chrome for iOS. This is personal preference.

iA Writer Pro is where I felt a huge difference. It's not a matter of program versions, but what I understood is physical keyboard It is much more convenient and faster to type large amounts of text. But it’s still much more convenient to write in the program than in the WordPress admin panel from mobile Safari or Chrome.

Of the auxiliary programs I often used on iOS: Applifto, Pixelmator, Pocket and Instapaper, Things and Clear, I left instant messengers for the iPhone, and what’s good is that official clients for VK and YouTube have been added to the iPad.

With the advent iOS extensions 8, the gap between Mac and iPad is gradually disappearing. Many users don't even realize how well the iPad can handle the daily tasks that almost everyone does on a Mac. IN this moment me as the owner Apple tablet, no longer needed powerful applications, it was enough for me to customize them for myself and carefully study the numerous possibilities that ready-made products offer. It seems that the relocation was extremely painless. But it seemed that way exactly until the start of work. Already on the first day using iPad mini in my hands, I realized the huge gap in convenience between a tablet and a laptop.

Multitasking. On the iPad I could work simultaneously in a maximum of 2-3 programs, but I couldn’t fully work in 4-5 programs, like on a Mac. Applications freeze every now and then, the very helpful gesture switching of applications often lags, animations quickly begin to irritate - it’s a waste of time.

Battery. A huge disadvantage of the iPad is its autonomy compared to a laptop. The iPad worked in my mode for 4-5 hours, and the laptop for 7 hours. You might think that the gap is not that big, but I conducted an experiment for the sake of experiment. I played the game Hearthstone in parallel on two gadgets, and the tablet died after 2.5 hours, and the laptop died in almost 5 hours. Now think about what the gap will be when typing?

Three days later, I finally became convinced that the iPad and iOS in my case are not even capable of temporarily replacing a laptop with OS X. main reason– this is the inability to achieve the desired optimization of the workflow. With the iPad, I feel comfortable reading the news, writing on Twitter, watching videos on YouTube, or being active on social networks. But when your attention is focused on news feed, instant messengers, writing articles and you need to do this at the same time, simple iOS is not suitable. You need OS X, which, with the right approach, allows you to create real miracles.

I concluded that blogging with iPad tablet It’s quite possible, as long as you have the desire and time, but much more time is spent. For example, I typed this article on an iPad using the iA Writer Pro program. Yes, I can’t deny that I would have typed it faster on a laptop, much faster. And as a result of this article, I made small conclusions that this year, when buying a new device, I will be faced with an incredibly difficult choice - MacBook Air or iPad Air 2, but I already described this in an article on my blog.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

The choice between a tablet and a laptop is not obvious for everyone. After all, these devices are almost equal in capabilities. In such a situation, some characteristics and parameters may be decisive in your choice. Such as, for example, the presence of a 3G module, weight and compactness, or battery life. Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of a tablet and a laptop so that you can definitely decide which device best suits your requirements.

Advantages of the tablet:

It’s worth starting to compare a laptop and a tablet with their scope of application. The tablet is ideal as an e-reader. Enough big screen and a capacious battery will provide you with reading a book for a long time. And compared to a laptop, the tablet turns on much faster. In a few seconds you are already on the Internet or watching your favorite movie.

Such fast operation of tablets is explained, first of all, by the fact that they run on special operating systems designed specifically for tablets (iOS from Apple and Android from Google). A tablet with the same characteristics, but on operating system Windows 7 will significantly lose performance.
During a meeting, instant access to necessary documents the tablet will provide the information, because turn on large laptop, somehow it’s not very convenient. The advantage of a tablet is that it is not only suitable for work, but also for entertainment. Playing games or watching a movie will keep you entertained during your trip.

Well, it’s worth paying attention to traveling together with tablets Special attention. After all, you can add to the tablet a large number of the information you need on the road: map, guidebook or dictionaries. And Wi-Fi and 3G support make it absolutely irreplaceable. And a tablet will survive a fall less painfully than a laptop. All you need to do is restart your tablet. You can't get off that easy with a laptop...

Advantages of the laptop:

It's time to discuss how a tablet is inferior to a laptop. The first, and probably most important, is the lack of a keyboard. On a laptop, you can quickly type and edit the necessary text. Yes, the tablet has it virtual keyboard, but it is clearly inferior in convenience. Yes, and getting used to such a keyboard is quite difficult.

Laptops are ideal for complex work, unlike tablets. Unpretentious office programs, of course, is on the tablet, but if you need something more powerful, then the tablet obviously won’t be there best assistant. There is no powerful image and multimedia editor on the tablet and you will need a laptop to run this type of software. In terms of performance and power, tablets are inferior to laptops.

On tablets you rarely see a USB port for flash drives. Because of this, you will not be able to view information created and saved from another computer or tablet.

It is also worth considering that accessing the Internet from a tablet can also become a problem. After all, many sites are not optimized for working with a tablet, and their display may not be correct.

Conclusion

As you can see, a tablet and a laptop cannot be placed in the same row. It is impossible to choose something better between them, because they are practically two different devices, which are created under different tasks. The tablet is ideal, first of all, for entertainment: watching movies, reading books, accessing the Internet. Moreover, it is compact, and you can always take it with you.

A laptop can also be used for the above tasks, but it is more convenient for work. It is impossible to say unequivocally which is better: a tablet or a laptop. The best option, will probably have both.

21.02.2013

According to forecasts, 2013 should be a turning point in the competition between tablets and laptops: it is expected that tablets will overtake laptops in sales volumes and take their rightful place on the throne of mobile devices. However, it’s too early to say goodbye to laptops completely: this class of PC is not going to leave the market yet

According to the latest data from analysts at NPD DisplaySearch, tablet sales will surpass laptop sales in 2013. “Tablet PC sales will exceed 240 million units in 2013, while notebook sales are expected to be just over 207 million units,” DisplaySearch said on its official blog.

Numbers are actually quite a funny thing. They can be viewed from different points of view. Looking at the situation as a whole, it is easy to miss the details, but focusing on individual elements, you may not appreciate the whole picture. At first glance, the above diagram illustrates the potential threat to laptops, but in reality it does not show the full picture.

Why tablets are dangerous for laptops

First you need to define what is meant by the word “tablet” and what is meant by the word “laptop”. Analysts classify devices with screen diagonals from 5.6 inches to 13.3 inches as tablets. The lion's share of sales is made up of “traditional” tablets with a screen diagonal of 10 inches - this is the standard set by the first iPad model. But tablets with smaller screens also contribute to the overall picture.

According to NPD, tablets with 7- to 8-inch displays will account for 45% of sales this year, while 9.7-inch models will account for just 17%. Combining 9- and 10-inch models into one segment smooths out the difference somewhat, but miniature tablets are still in the lead.

Thus, the main contribution to tablet sales this year will be made by such models as Amazon Kindle Fire, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0, Google Nexus 7 and Apple iPad Mini. All of these quality devices come at affordable prices (with the possible exception of the iPad Mini).

The average buyer is limited in his spending on mobile equipment, so he tries to choose the most attractive device, taking into account his financial capabilities. Amazon Kindle Fir or Samsung Galaxy The Tab 7.0 can be purchased for $200, and netbook prices start at $250. However, a $250 netbook has a weak single-core processor and a small amount of RAM, which is not enough for efficient work Windows 7. In addition, netbooks are larger and heavier than tablets, and their battery life lasts only 2-3 hours.

But for $200 you can buy a tablet with a clearer screen that has more a high resolution. The processor and RAM of tablets are not very different from those installed in netbooks. But ARM architecture and mobile OS like Android or iOS provide them optimal use, which allows you to achieve excellent performance characteristics. Plus, $200 tablets are lighter and thinner, and can last all day on a single charge.

Of course, netbooks have more internal memory and support standard software for Windows. However, tablets also make it possible to work with by email and browsing the Internet, supports IM clients, social networks and games, thereby satisfying more than 90% of user expectations. So it is not surprising that less expensive tablets have noticeably displaced netbooks.

Why tablets are not dangerous for laptops

Pay attention to the last sentence. It does not say that tablets will replace laptops, but only that inexpensive tablets have become an attractive alternative to netbooks.

In general, the data presented combines cheap economy-class netbooks with real laptops comparable in power to desktop PCs. The statistic also conflates inexpensive, basic tablets with larger, more powerful models that cost significantly more.

The impact of tablets on laptop sales is also noticeable. Here again, the reason is that tablets are great at most tasks. Even if we consider 9- and 10-inch tablets in the price range of $500-600, we must admit that they are a more versatile and inexpensive alternative to laptops, the price of which starts at $1,000.

However, tablets are not capable of taking over all functions personal computer. For example, business applications written specifically for Windows will not work on tablets in offline mode. In most cases, to work with them, the tablet must be remotely connected to a real PC.

Laptops have significant memory and a large number of ports, including USB, SD and HDMI, which are missing from individual models tablets.

More recently, netbooks were considered to be a clear threat to the laptop market. Low price low-power, almost disposable devices made of plastic gave false hope that they were the future of the market. But professional users have opted for powerful, quality laptops, and the $1,000 or $2,000 price tag hasn't stopped them.

So, low-cost tablets do threaten low-cost netbooks, and tablets in general are affecting overall laptop sales. However, professionals in business, science, design and other fields still need powerful, productive laptops. The real picture of the impact of the popularity of tablets on laptop sales will appear only with a clear distinction between small and large tablets, as well as netbooks and laptops.

Why arguments are meaningless

Another name for tablets is tablet computers. This means that they themselves belong to the class computer equipment, and it's pointless to discuss how they will "destroy" the PC. This is reminiscent of conversations about how dolphins can destroy whales. And since dolphins themselves belong to the order of cetaceans, this is impossible by definition.

Although Microsoft added fuel to the fire with the release of Windows 8, the corporation itself understands the connection tablet is better than PC than anyone else. Windows 8 OS is a kind of bridge connecting traditional computers to Windows based with a new generation of mobile devices focused on touch control. Naturally, Windows 8 can be criticized for various reasons, but without a doubt, its appearance is a step in the right direction, showing that Microsoft is truly looking to the future.

At CES 2013, Intel representatives announced that touch screens will become a key requirement when creating the next generation of ultrabooks. Vendors have already flooded the market with hybrid devices like the Dell XPS 12 Convertible or Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga, which try to combine a tablet computer and a laptop. The Microsoft Surface model is a tablet that looks and functions like an Ultrabook, thanks to covers with a built-in keyboard.

There is an evolution in the PC market. NPD DisplaySearch data showing the opposition between tablets and laptops covers the period up to 2017, but it is possible that by 2015 the market for these two types of devices will become common.