Saturday, September 8, 2012

Ipads Tablets And Laptops

This month’s article deals with the topic of portable computers and which is best suited for your computing needs. I will not discuss desktop computers save to say that in my opinion a professional desktop computer will yield you the best value overall in a personal computer.

Apple Ipad
The Apple ipad does what it says on the box and does it better than any other tablet based machine I have seen. It’s sleek, fast, and has excellent performance in a small well designed product BUT it is not a full replacement for a laptop/desktop computer.
The lack of full browser support means many websites are unusable when viewed on an ipad. On top of this the lack of usb ports means you can not easily backup the device nor can you print from it with ease. To be fair to apple they didn’t design it as a replacement for a laptop but inevitably people use it like it is one. If all you do on a computer is Facebook and some email then by all means buy one but don’t gripe if it doesn’t do all that you expect of a personal computer.

Tablet Computers
The success of the Ipad has spawned a plethora of clones in the form of tablet computers. Most, until recently, had much smaller screens and have limited functionality. The cost is significantly cheaper than an ipad but I’ve never seen one I liked. Pc manufacturers are in the process of launching Ipad killers in the form of new tablet computers which will come with Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system. These new hybrid machines will feature touch screen features similar to the ipad combined with traditional laptop features including a full working keyboard and mouse when you need it. To see a preview of windows 8 in action click on or visit the following link - http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/release-preview
The big caveat for these new hybrids will be the cost of a replacement screens which will be very expensive. 50% of laptops I see for repair have broken screens.

Laptop Computers
The cost of laptops has continued to drop in price but so also has the quality and durability. It’s not uncommon for me to see laptops of less than 2 years old in for repair with serious hardware failures. The lower end cheaper laptops simply do not last and if you get four years out of one you’ll be lucky. If you do decide to invest in one avoid the cheap models.


Oliver Reidy is a computer technician and has been in the industry since 1981.Locally he is a member of Mebo (Meath East Business Owners) Http://www.mebo.biz. You can contact him via email at help.desk@reidyonline.com