Tablet vs. Laptop: Which One Is Right for You?

By Tracey Dowdy

Ever since the advent of the tablet, the debate of laptop vs. tablet has raged. Well, maybe not raged, but frequently discussed, occasionally with vehement hand gestures.

Are they interchangeable? Does one perform just as well as the other? Well, yes and no. Before investing in a tablet or a laptop, stop and consider what your needs are and use these tips to determine which device is best for you.

PRICE

For most of us, price is a primary issue. Laptops generally start at $500, whereas a tablet like the Verizon Ellipsis 8 is available for as little as $79.99. Depending on what your needs are, if you’re on a budget, a tablet may be the way to go.

Advantage: Tablet

POWER

Most tablets use a variation of a smartphone operating system. For example, the iPad uses iOS and the Verizon Ellipsis 8 is Android based.  Like many mobile devices, the focus is on touch screens and ease of use. Consider that tablets generally come with 1 GB of RAM or less. Laptops on the other hand come with 4-8 GB of RAM making it much easier to multi-task. Think of your hard drive as a file cabinet and RAM as your desk. Once you pull files from the cabinet, you can spread them out on your desk and jump around. More RAM means faster speeds and better performance, which is especially important for gamers – and by gamers I don’t mean those playing Candy Crush or Kim Kardashian.

Advantage: Laptop

BATTERY

Ah battery life, the bane of our tech existence. To be fair, it’s difficult to compare laptop and tablet battery lives because of the different ways the devices are used. However, if you compare battery specs from the manufacturers you get a better picture of what to expect. The average laptop battery offers roughly 6 hours of continuous use whereas the average tablet offers 10 hours or more. Enough said.

Advantage: Tablet

STORAGE

Another important piece of the puzzle is how much storage you will need. Tablets generally come with 16-64 GB of storage. High-end tablets offer much more, but they also come with a high-end price tag. On the other hand, you can get a laptop with a full terabyte of storage for under $1,000. In fact, storage doesn’t really impact the price of a laptop. Of course, cloud storage is an option for tablets but you’ll need to consider security issues, whether you’re willing to pay a monthly fee, and whether or not you’re disciplined enough to regularly transfer those photos and other data to the cloud.

Advantage: Laptop

DISPLAY

Most newer tablets offer displays of over 250 pixels per inch, with the latest iPad mini coming in at a whopping 326 ppi. That’s why Denzel looks so good on Netflix. Well, that and good genes but I digress. On the other hand, most laptop displays are below 200 ppi, although the number of hi-res laptops is increasing every month. Keep in mind most laptops screens are larger than tablet displays, so that image doesn’t necessarily need to be as crisp.

Advantage: Tablet

CONNECTIVITY

Before making that purchase, think ports and connectivity. Will you want to connect to your home theater system? Will you need to print from your device? HDMI and USB ports are standard on most laptops, not so much with tablets. Likewise when it comes to printers. It’s relatively easy to connect your laptop to a printer, again, not so much with tablets.

Advantage: Laptop

Once you know what your primary needs are, the decision is much easier than you may think. In the words of Inigo Montoya, “Let me ‘splain…No, there is too much. Let me sum up”:

Choose a laptop if you:

  • need high performance – think speed and compatibility
  • need lots of storage
  • will use it as your primary device

Choose a tablet if you:

  • already have a laptop or PC and you’re looking for a companion device
  • primarily want a device for surfing the net and entertainment
  • want something simple.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Toronto, ON. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances and researches on subjects from family and education to pop culture and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

Monday, December 15: A Verizon FiOS Holiday Twitter Event

A Verizon FiOS Holiday Twitter Event!

#LifeOnFiOS

When: TODAY, Monday, December 15, 2014
8:00 – 9:00 pm ET
5:00 – 6:00 pm PT
Join @mistygirlph @theonlinemom and friends at 8 pm ET TODAY as we look forward to the Holidays!
Although the Holiday season is a time for setting up decorations, shopping for loved ones and spending time with family and friends, it can also be stressful. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! From finding the perfect gift to entertaining the in-laws, we have everything you need to survive the Holidays in comfort and style!
RSVP and attend the party for a chance to win a Kindle Fire HDX 7″ Tablet!
A Video Recap follows right after the chat with another chance to win a Kindle Fire HDX Tablet!

 (Click here to learn more about our Twitter chats. You must RSVP and attend the party to be eligible for a prize.)

To RSVP:
  1. Email RSVP@theonlinemom.com (subject line: LifeOnFiOS) indicating your Twitter ID
  2. Spread the word and RT this link on your Twitter feed: http://ow.ly/FqV8A
  3. Join us on TweetDeck or HootSuite (#LifeOnFiOS) today between 8–9 pm ET
  4. Tell your Twitter followers!
PRIZE WINNERS will be announced during the Party!

(The Online Mom LLC receives a fee for participating in certain promotional programs for Verizon.)

Sunday, January 4: A Special WWEmoms Twitter Event

A Special WWEmoms Twitter Event

#WWEmoms

When: TODAY,Sunday, January 4, 2015
7:00 – 8:00 pm ET
4:00 – 5:00 pm PT

Join @WWEmoms and friends at 7 pm ET (4 pm PT) TODAY as we look forward to the return of Total Divas!
TODAY, Sunday, January 4 10/9c sees the return of Total Divas on E!, a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of the celebrated WWE Divas. Join us as we preview the new season and meet the new Divas who will be joining Nikki, Brie, Ariane, Nattie and the rest of the Total Divas cast!
RSVP and attend the Twitter event for a chance to win a Jawbone UP Fitness Tracker, a Philips Music Cube, or a Marmot Women’s Jacket!

(Click here to learn more about our Twitter chats. You must RSVP and attend the party to be eligible for a prize.)

To RSVP:
  1. Email RSVP@theonlinemom.com (subject line: WWEmoms) and include your Twitter ID
  2. Spread the word and RT this link on your Twitter feed:  http://ow.ly/G3h40
  3. Join us on TweetDeck or HootSuite (#WWEmoms) today between 7 – 8 pm ET
  4. Tell your Twitter followers!
PRIZE WINNERS will be announced during the Party!

(The Online Mom LLC receives a fee for participating in certain promotional programs for WWE.)

Verizon FiOS: Helping Small Businesses Grow

When we think of Verizon FiOS, we usually think of home Internet services or a TV service that now offers over 600 channels, including more than 170 in full HD. But there is another side to Verizon FiOS that is becoming increasingly important and that’s the critical help and support that is offered to tens of thousands of small businesses.

If you run a small business today, a reliable communications network is essential. Whether you are taking online orders, providing accurate information to employees, or just trying to understand the trends in your marketplace, fast 24/7 Internet access and secure phone lines are crucial to your success.

Recognizing the importance of its network to small businesses, Verizon has been steadily building the resources it offers to this vitally important sector of the US economy. Along with live webinars and helpful articles on industry trends and best practices, there are rewards programs and a growing number of partner discounts. These discounts include savings on a wide range of business services such as Fedex, Dun & Bradstreet, Staples and Verizon Wireless.

As part of a special promotion, small businesses enrolled in Verizon’s Small Biz Rewards loyalty program have a chance to help themselves and support a worthy cause. From now until December 31, small business customers can join the program for free and enter the Give and Give Back Holidays Sweepstakes, which will award a $5,000 pre-paid MasterCard to the winner and make a $5,000 donation to that individual’s favorite charity.

But the true value of the Verizon small business service remains the unparalleled fiber-optic Internet access, with superfast 25 Mbps upload and download speeds allowing business owners to send and receive documents in just seconds, make instant changes to web sites, and enjoy seamless video conferencing with employees and clients.

If you own a small business, you owe it to yourself to establish the best possible platform for future growth. Verizon FiOS can help you get there.

The Online Mom LLC receives a fee for participating in certain promotional campaign for Verizon.

How To Get the Most from Your Smartphone Battery

By Tracey Dowdy

Poor battery life is one of the most common complaints of cell phone users. Personally, I feel myself breaking into a cold sweat when I see that battery indicator creeping below 20%. Doesn’t matter if I’m in a crowd surrounded by friends with phones or stranded on a deserted island about to be attacked by a panther…wait, do desert islands even have panthers? Anyway, low battery power makes me nervous.

Good news – it’s an easy problem to solve.

First, the science-y part that will make you feel you’re the smartest: Our cell phones, tablets and laptops use lightweight lithium ion batteries, a feature which is especially important in portable tech. They’re an improvement over past cell/laptop batteries because they hold a charge longer, have no “memory effect” – which means they don’t have to completely discharge – and can be charged roughly 500-1000 times depending on use and the level of care you take with your device.

Secondly, you can extend the life of your battery both short and long term by following these tips:

Don’t let your device overheat. Lithium ion batteries generate heat while they charge and allowing the device to sit in a hot environment – on your deck chair at the pool, in your non-air conditioned car – will impact the life of your battery. Not only will frequent over-heating cause the device to lose its charge more quickly, it will shorten the overall life of the battery resulting in the need to replace it sooner rather than later.
Bottom line: Avoid extreme temperatures – hot or cold – for maximum battery life.

Official chargers are best. Sure you can get a phone charger at the dollar store but do you really want to roll the dice on a $2 charger for your $300 phone? Manufacturers optimize the charger to specific batteries and using the wrong charger can cause damage. Off-brand chargers are generally poorly made and don’t push the necessary power to the battery, which also means it’ll take longer to charge.
Bottom line: Official chargers (from the phone manufacturers) are best; off-brand chargers from manufacturers like Belkin are generally okay; but third party (e.g. dollar store) chargers are not worth it.

Partial vs. full discharge. I always thought it was best to let the battery fully discharge before recharging. That may have worked in theory but in reality it’s rarely convenient. Turns out partial charge cycles are better for your phone than full discharge. Try to keep the 40/80 rule in mind – recharge at 40% and stop charging at 80%. Of course if you’re going to be away from your charger for a long period of time, let it charge to 100%.
Bottom line: Over-charging stresses the battery and stress isn’t any better for battery life than it is for your life.

Keep your software up to date. Smartphone updates include fixes to improve software and hardware performance. While there’s a limit to what impact updates can make on existing hardware, it can make the most of what you have.
Bottom line: Battery life is one of the most common complaints about mobile tech, so developers are constantly working on ways to improve performance.

Disable functions you don’t need. One of the biggest battery zappers is your phone’s GPS. If Location Services is enabled, your phone is constantly searching for cell phone towers and Wi-Fi hotspots. The more it searches, the faster the battery life is consumed. Also, disable Wi-Fi scanning, another battery hog. You’ll have to log in manually, but the pay-off is longer battery life.
Bottom line: If you don’t need it, turn it off.

Adjust Brightness. This one is pretty simple: the brighter the screen the faster the battery drain.
Bottom line: Set Brightness to Auto.

Set your Sleep Timer. Not as in when you go to sleep, but when your phone goes to sleep. Set your phone to go into sleep mode after a minute of inactivity for maximum battery life.
Bottom line: If your screen is active when you aren’t, you’re wasting your battery.

There are many other ways to preserve battery life that are specific to your OS. Take a few minutes to review manufacturer guidelines and change the necessary settings. When it comes to extending battery life, every little bit counts.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to do a little research on defending ones’ self against desert island panthers. Happy charging!

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Toronto, ON. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances and researches on subjects from family and education to pop culture and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.