Can you replace your work computer with a tablet?

Thursday, October 3 2013
Can you replace your work computer with a tablet?

Technology has come a long way in a short window. All of the devices that were cool a few years ago are practically relics nowadays. This has changed how people work day in and day out.

The PC used to dominate offices all over the world. Every worker had his or her own computer to save their projects and find new resources online. Then the laptop boom hit and many businesses started relying on the portable devices instead of the older models.

Laptops had a number of advantages over PCs. For instance, they had built-in webcams and microphones so workers could easily use video conferencing software. Further, the new devices were portable, allowing workers to complete their business communications from anywhere.

But now laptops aren't the hottest thing on the market. Tablets have quickly taken the throne have become a dominant force. While they're great for playing games and checking Facebook, the juries out whether tablets are beneficial for work. Let's see if we can figure that out.

Typing all day
The first issue is typing on a tablet. You're not going to sit there and use touchscreen commands for eight hours per day as you try to do your job, so you'll need to be an external keyboard. Digital Trends points out that most models are somewhat easy to install without adding much weight. Additionally, most keyboards are effective for typing but aren't anything spectacular.

So in the sense that you can type on it, yes you can use a tablet for work.

Getting it done
Now comes the real issue you have to actually do work on your tablet. Digital Trends explained that Google Docs was mostly functional, but the editing tools were limited and there was a noticeable lag between what was typed and what appeared on the screen. The news source also ran into similar issues with WordPress as it wasn't optimized for mobile formats.

You also have to keep in mind that many tablets aren't capable of multitasking. This means that you can only focus on one thing at a time. If you're looking up sources to fill out a report, you'll have to switch between windows. On a laptop, you could simply open different tabs so you can easily access any information you want.

So basically tablets are good for streaming movies on Netflix and checking social media, but if you need to actually work and participate in a remote meeting, stick with an actual computer.