Introduction
In choosing a particular tool to perform a specific function, a number of factors need to be considered. The choice of an important component of an information system is by no means different as there are a number of different devices with peculiar configurations to choose from. In this paper, the factors to consider in the choice between a tablet and a laptop to effectively carry out management functions are considered.
Factors to consider
The first most important factor to consider in the choice of either a tablet or a laptop is the purpose for which the device will be used (Black Box, 2014). Owing to the characteristics and configurations of each of the devices some features will be an advantage to the usage of the device while other features will be a disadvantage. These features and characteristics of each of the devices will be considered in details in subsequent sections of this write up.
Another factor to consider is cost. There will be no point in trying to acquire a device for which one has no means of paying for. The cost of the item with respect to the allotted budget will also determine which of the two devices to choose. However, a cheaper device does not guarantee higher quality (Harmon and Germeroth, n.d.).
Features of Laptops and Tablets
The features of laptops and tablets are compared in table 1.
The characteristics of these devices that will influence my choice of device are;
Processing power: a very important factor to consider as it determines how efficient the device will be.
RAM size: the RAM capacity determines how many tasks the device will be able to run concurrently without slowing the system down.
Storage capacity: The larger the storage, the more programs and files that can be stored on the device.
Three of the best-selling tablets on the market (Richardson et al., 2013) are as presented below;
iPad Air 2 running the apple iOS 8 with a RAM of 2 G, hard drive size of 16 GB and screen size of 9.7 inch.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 with a screen size of 10.5 inches, RAM size of 3 GB and storage capacity of 16 GB running the Android Lollipop OS.
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 8 Windows running the Windows 8.1 OS, 32 GB of storage, 2 GB of RAM and with an 8-inch screen size.
Of the three tablets listed, my own choice would be the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 owing to its larger RAM capacity and larger screen size.
REFERENCES
Black Box (2014). Choosing a Tablet and Laptop Cart. PDF. Retrieved from https://www.google.com.ng/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=46&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjDoe_i877KAhVCjg8KHTdtAFw4KBAWCDcwBQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fthejournal.com%2F~%2Fmedia%2FD1CC6792FB76408A821ECD0D39A2061B.pdf&usg=AFQjCNHzDB15It9IIDNyURw8uGQvyOS7GQ
Harmon, M. and Germeroth, R. (n.d). Laptop vs. Tablet What Should I Buy? PDF. Retrieved from http://www.yourmdl.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Laptop-vs-Tablet.pdf
Poll, H. (2014). Pearson Student Mobile Device Survey 2014. Pearson. PDF. Retrieved from http://www.pearsoned.com/wp-content/uploads/Pearson-HE-Student-Mobile-Device-Survey-PUBLIC-Report-051614.pdf
Richardson, J.W., McLeod, S., Flora, K., Sauers, N.J., Kannan, S. and Sincar, M. (2013). Large-scale 1:1 computing initiatives: An open access database. International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT), 9(1), Pp. 4-18.
