Tablets have become some of the handiest and most popular business tools for workers on the go. But does that mean you should swap out your company’s fleet of laptops for them? Here at Gravity Systems, we would say no. Here’s why.

Hardware limitations - Tablets fit a lot of functionality into a convenient form factor. But laptops offer greater processing power, thanks in part to their ability to house cooling fans. They also provide a built-in keyboard and trackpad, which makes data input much easier and more comfortable for serious work, while boasting much greater onboard storage capacity than tablets.

Operating system limitations - Laptops can run the same operating systems as their desktop cousins. This means that you can take full advantage of all the OS’s features. By contrast, a typical tablet OS is a stripped-down version made specifically for the tablet’s narrower range of specifications -- and without administrator or “root” access for users.

Program limitations - “There’s an app for that” doesn’t necessarily ring true. While developers continue to create countless apps for mobile devices such as tablets, many of these apps lack the functionality of honest-to-goodness computer programs. In many cases, the mobile versions of standard productivity suites lack some of the features required by power users for their everyday work.

As helpful as tablets definitely are for mobile work situations, they can’t match laptops for sheer ability. If you want to give your employees the ability to perform the widest possible range of functions as easily and efficiently as possible, keep investing in laptops for serious mobile (or even desktop) usage even as you bring tablets on board for secondary purposes.

Our Austin tech support experts can help you make the right hardware purchasing choices for your workplace -- including both laptops and tablets. Contact us and let’s discuss your needs!