Laptop or tab...which is better?

[Halifaxmum]

My daughter wants either a laptop or a tablet - she's 12 and uses it for facebook, msn, skype. She's got just under £300.

I've been looking at a laptop in PCWorld for that price, but they also have Dell or Galaxy tabs for £250. I don't know which to go for. Any advice please?

TIA!

[ChuckFickens]

I'd get a netbook for her.

[ChuckFickens]

Just to clarify that a little.....

Cheap tablets are rubbish. expensive tablets are a nice toy (IMO) and have their uses but are not a suitable replacement for a proper computer.

[hc4361]

I agree with Chuck. Cheap tablets are rubbish, she will get much more use out of a laptop

[Halifaxmum]

Thanks. She had a netbook but it died a very quick death - it was an Acer - rubbish quality and broke after just over a year, so I wouldn't get another netbook or any Acer.

Don't the tablets give you the same stuff as a laptop? The Galaxy tablet looks nice and Samsung seem to be quite a good make...?

[cazzz1975]

laptop or tab

laptop is better, agree with the above the cheap tabs are rubbish and gimmicky

[sherrardk]

I've got a laptop and an iPad - the iPad is great but is treated as the family toy and there are some things that I can't do on it (can't think what at the moment though).

[gingejbee]

Acer - broke after just a year. More to do with being used by a 12 year-old child than the quality of Acer computers, methinks.

[Buenchico]

You need to consider the problems of getting data in and out of a tablet. A decent laptop will have a built-in optical (i.e. DVD) drive, so that you can load programs from it., or transfer data using CDs and DVDs (or simply play them). It also has a keyboard and either a trackball or a mouse, which provide far more efficient ways of getting data into the device than those offered by any tablet.

There's a good (but rather technical) article here:
http://www.techradar....hould-you-buy--691600
but this provides a briefer summary:
http://www.buzzle.com...k-before-you-buy.html

but for a REALLY scientific comparison . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPHtt_tUkNo

[VHG]

Remember a tablet does not have a "proper" keyboard.

So typing will be very hard work.

[Hettster]

Buenchico. . .I laughed so much . .and I agree with the baby in the video thank you Buenchico

[Halifaxmum]

Thanks all - buenchico that really made me lol!!!

[Halifaxmum]

Ginge - when I said broke, I meant it died - she didn't actually break the plastic and metal bits.

Why are the cheap tablets rubbish - if you can surf, do the social network stuff, skype then what makes them rubbish? Are they really slow or do they play up?