Are iPads Replacing Laptops? (ContributorNetwork)

When I went on vacation in New England about 10 years ago, I couldn't bring my desktop computer with me to the hotel room. Instead, I brought my laptop, a machine that was old even then. It had a black-and-white screen, a floppy disk drive and a trackball, plus it was extremely slow. But it could connect to the 'net, which was enough for me on the go.

As Android Academy 101 points out, things have changed now. The laptop has become the primary computer for most people -- it certainly is for me and my girlfriend. And now tablets like the iPad are beginning to take the place of the laptop, not as the primary computer but the portable machine. In a nutshell, the laptop is the new desktop computer, and the tablet -- or at least the iPad -- is, for many, the new laptop.

So how did this come about, and is it a new reason to go out and buy an iPad?

Why the laptop replaced the desktop

First off, a laptop isn't just a portable machine. Laptops make perfectly serviceable desktop PCs and Macs, with the right accessories. I wrote a guide about how to turn Apple's petite MacBook Air into a desktop workstation; my personal laptop is a 15-inch Compaq, but the same ergonomic principles apply. All you need are a keyboard and mouse, and a way to put your laptop's screen at eye level.

And second, computers have gotten so powerful these days that there's no reason to buy or build a desktop machine, unless you're a gamer or a professional and you need the extra power. A cheap, entry-level laptop can do pretty much everything anyone wants to do with a computer, even some basic online games. And while a laptop will be slightly less powerful than a desktop computer that costs the same, you can take it with you anywhere.

Or can you?

The rise of the netbook happened because today's laptops are too big and bulky. I have to lug my laptop in a backpack, and if I were a college student, that'd be one fewer textbook I could bring.

The problem with netbooks, though, is that while they're conveniently sized for carrying they're so small as to be almost useless. I know some people who've gotten some use out of them, but the combination of a tiny screen and an un-ergonomic keyboard does not make for a fun time.

Enter the iPad

In the presentation that introduced the first iPad, Steve Jobs said it fills the niche between laptop and smartphone. It's small enough to fit in a handbag, and while it's not so good for prolonged typing, it lets you do everything a smartphone can, just with a bigger screen.

Can it replace your laptop? Maybe, if you use a desktop PC or Mac as your main computer. If your laptop's your main computer, though, you might not want to throw it out just yet. Not only are laptops better for typing on, many professional apps and websites require you to be using one.

As Matthew Guay of Techinch wrote, however, the iPad may well be "the microwave oven of computing:" It can't do as much as a laptop can, but what it does, it does quicker and more conveniently. Add in the fact that it's much more portable, and those who are still tied to a laptop or desktop PC for all their computing tasks may well wish that they weren't.

Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20110809/us_ac/8930673_are_ipads_replacing_laptops

wrestling news wwe news ivanka trump tumblr rachel uchitel the knot the knot