Compare tablet and netbook

The question «Which is better to buy — a tablet or a netbook?» For 2019, it sounds at least strange. Both of these segments are gradually dying out. If we talk about AAA-class manufacturers like Samsung and Apple, they release 1-2 tablet models a year.

And netbooks have completely died out. Instead, cheap Chromebooks and inexpensive hybrid computers from second-tier manufacturers — Dexp, Teclast, Chuwi and so on — came to the market.

However, the segments have died out, and the need for ultra-portable devices for work, multimedia and games has remained. And what about a person who decides to purchase a companion device that will accompany him on trips? What is better to buy — a tablet, a netbook or something else? Let’s look at the situation taking into account the modern market.

The Tablet Situation

Tablets were originally designed as ultra-portable devices for use on the go. Quickly touch up the presentation while you go up to the top floor to the management; quickly finish your notes while you are waiting for the lecturer under the door of the office where the exam will be held; watch a couple of funny videos on the bus while you are driving home.

It’s hard to imagine laptops or netbooks being used in this way. You need to work on them in detail — you sit down, pull out a mobile computer from your backpack, surf there on the Internet or “rustle” over some report.

The problem is that, while remaining devices for “quick fixing” and “watching a couple of videos from YouTube”, at some point no one needed tablets. And their market has undergone noticeable changes.

Now, in 2019, tablets can be divided into two groups — “flagship” and “everyone else”. They show how these devices change. Flagship tablets are becoming professional devices for everyday work, acquiring powerful hardware and detachable keyboards. True, they cost more than average laptops.

And this is not an exaggeration. See for yourself:

Apple iPad Pro 2018. Productive, like a desktop computer. Supports stylus or keyboard input (sold separately). Metal body, AMOLED TrueTone display, face recognition and up to 1TB of internal memory. Price — from 670 $ at the time of writing this material;

Microsoft Surface Pro 6. This is still a tablet, but in the top configuration it is equipped with an Intel Core i7-8650U processor, 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of permanent SSD storage. Optional Surface Pen and Surface Type Cover available. Price — from 720 $, not officially sold in EU;

Google Pixel Slate. Chromebook tablet. It is positioned, among other things, as inexpensive! In the top configuration, it is equipped with 16 GB of RAM, an Intel Core i7 processor and a 256 TB SSD. Price — from 600 to 1600 dollars, it is not officially sold in EU, but on one well-known ad site you can buy a 4 + 32 GB version for 400 $;

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4. 10 core processor, 10.5 inch high resolution sAMOLED screen, 4 GB RAM. You can enter with a stylus, and it is included! You can buy a keyboard. The tablet is also equipped with 4 AKG speakers, and the screen has an immersive effect. The price at the time of writing is 530 $.

Of course, one could argue that flagship tablets have always been expensive. But! If you look at the situation on the market in some 2013, it turns out that:

The market was much more diverse. Top models were produced by both large and medium-sized manufacturers;

Tablets did not seek to become full-fledged computers.

Now flagship tablets are devices for people who need to “tweak something along the way”, but this “something” is no longer text, but a 3D model; and the «way» is a business class flight from one coast to another.

And what about «all the other» tablets? Oh, this is much more interesting. The tablet market is now dominated by second, third, fourth tier manufacturers. If you open an online store with an orange design and green aliens as a mascot, and go to the «Tablets» section, it turns out that most of the shelves are occupied by such «famous» manufacturers as Finepower, Dexp, Irbis, Prestigio, Digma, Vertex and along with them. This is “fierce Chinese”, which has one advantage and two disadvantages.

Dignity:

Price. You can buy a tablet for 30-40$! And it even turns on!

Flaws:

Buy a cat in a bag. The device will either work for a year, or even two — or turn off the next day and never turn on again;

It is impossible to repair it. There are no parts for all sorts of Finepower and Dexp, so if the screen cracks, then all that remains is to buy a new tablet. However, it costs 30-40$ …

The fact that such devices will fail, slow down and lag with each more or less difficult task is not even discussed and is not recorded as a disadvantage. These are tablets for 30-40$ in the world of tablets for 70-1500$.

Only the so-called «second tier» remains — Xiaomi, Huawei and Lenovo. They still release tablets for a reason. Of course, their devices cost 150-300 $, but when buying such a device, you can be sure that it will not crash after installing the second game.

So let’s sum it up.

Should you buy a tablet in 2019?

The market situation and the limited scope of use have led to the fact that tablets are needed only in a few scenarios. And you should buy them only in the following cases:

You are a professional who needs a high-performance device that can be safely carried around in a purse. For you — products from Apple, Microsoft, Google and Samsung;

You are a student who lectures, books, quickly writes essays on the way from the classroom to the dining room;

Are you a movie buff who can’t live a day without a fresh movie or a new episode of your favorite series;

Do you have a child who wants to play all the games.

If there is no money for a flagship device (or there is, but its purchase does not seem appropriate), then you can look at the devices of Xiaomi, Huawei, Lenovo and other second-tier Chinese companies. But tablets Dexp, Prestigio, Digma and so on are better not to buy. Generally. Not in one case.

The situation with netbooks

If the tablet market is only agonizing and transforming into God knows what, then the netbook market has already successfully driven away its own and died. Everything. Netbooks no longer exist. There are other equally interesting devices.

How about, for example, 10-inch subnotebooks? For 8-120$ in any store you can buy a 10-inch subnotebook from your favorite companies Dexp, Irbis, Prestigio and others. Most likely, the device will be equipped with an Intel Atom x5-Z8350 processor, 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB eMMC storage. If you are very lucky, then there will be twice as much memory — both RAM and ROM. The device will run Windows 10, and this operating system will take up half of the built-in drive. It remains to install «office», «chrome» and … and that’s it, there will be no more space.

In principle, such subnotebooks are «reborn» netbooks. They can only “sit” on the Internet, type texts and build tables in MS Office, and watch videos from YouTube. More, probably, and do not need most users. And you can also buy such a subnotebook for a child to study — and he will really study, because he won’t be able to play on it!

Subnotebooks have one problem (as if low performance is not a problem at all, yes) — they are Chinese. And it’s not that the global disadvantage. It’s just that these are Chinese computers for 10-120 $, so when buying, you should prepare for the appearance of glitches, brakes and completely unexpected bugs. Or to the fact that one not very fine day the computer simply will not turn on.

Once the author of this material used such a subnotebook from Dexp as the main one for a whole year. It’s just that the rest of the computers broke down in a short period of time, there wasn’t much money, so I had to buy a subnotebook for 80 $. The netbook had an Intel Atom Z3735f processor, 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal memory.

The device basically worked. It was possible to install Microsoft Office 2016, Google Chrome and a couple of other useful programs on the hard drive, and there was even a little space left! Sometimes, on long lonely evenings, the author played it in Heroes of Might and Magic III HD Edition, and one day he took a chance and installed HOMM V — and it even started!

The netbook is still alive. It is already more than two years old, now it serves another person who is trying to install Android on it for some reason. And everything seems to be fine, but …

Watch. This subnotebook always had a slow clock. Sometimes for a couple of minutes, sometimes for a couple of hours. All options were tried to restore their work — but no. The clock was always behind. You «align» them with synchronization or manually — and after an hour they again lag behind.

Somewhere on YouTube there is still a video in which you can see that the clock on the subnotebook passes 40 seconds, while on wrist smartwatches — a minute.

And you never know what a glitch will be when buying this subnotebook. Or maybe there won’t be any problems at all.

Of course, not all subnotebooks are produced exclusively by Chinese companies. Now you can pick up an HP Stream x360, for example, or a Lenovo IdeaPad 120S … But they are rare and are unreasonably expensive for their technical characteristics.

Should you buy a netbook in 2019?

I guess, yes. But only in two cases:

Your budget for a new computer does not exceed 12-150 $;

You plan on it only to sit on the Internet and watch movies.

At the same time, you should be prepared for the fact that the subnotebook will slow down, “fail” in some completely incomprehensible way, and in some cases even refuse to turn on at some point.

What then to buy?

And now we come to the main thing. If everything is so bad with tablets and netbooks, then what should you buy for a person who just needs a reliable ultra-mobile device to work anywhere?

The market has such devices! The first type is hybrid computers (transformer laptops), the second is ultrabooks.

Hybrid computers are, in fact, all the same tablets with a keyboard. Only they are based on “normal” hardware, produced by large companies, and connecting a keyboard expands functionality, and not just makes it possible to write not only on the screen. Hybrid computers are of two types:

Tablet with switchable (detachable) keyboard;

A tablet with a keyboard that can wrap around the screen (so-called «yoga design»).

Such devices are convenient and functional. Their prices are very different — from 200-300 $for Acer and Lenovo models to 2000$ for Yoga ThinkPad X1 mobile workstations.

The second option — ultrabooks. These are light (about 1 kg), thin and very productive laptops. Thanks to the large amount of RAM, a fast processor and SSD memory, they turn on in seconds, open programs and files instantly. A large battery provides autonomy of 5-10 hours.

The only «but» is that they are expensive. The cheapest ultrabooks are Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air and Acer ZenMate, and they cost from 300 $.

But these devices are recommended for purchase in 2019. Classic tablets and netbooks are hopelessly outdated, and apart from the inconvenience of use and brakes, they will not bring anything. Is it worth paying more money for it?