I have heard people say this for years, and sales show a definite trend away from desktops and laptops, and even tablets. According to a 2017 Forbes article, non-phone devices are declining, while smartphone sales continue to accelerate. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the PC is dying.

As the holidays approach, many people start thinking about taking advantage the deals and upgrading their tech. So, what route should you go? You don’t want to spend your money on technology that is on its way out, but you want to make sure you are getting the best option for your needs.

Do you still need a laptop or desktop? If you have a smartphone, do you still need a tablet?  In the past, the answer has been much more clear cut, but with the evolution of technology, the answer is…it depends.

Let’s Talk Tablets

The benefits of smartphones are obvious, they are extremely portable which means they are easily accessible for taking photos and videos, texting, listening to music, or checking the weather or your social media. So, why would you need a tablet too?

A tablet provides you the ability to do all of the above, but with a larger screen size it makes it more convenient for things such as:

Reading – While you can read full books on your smartphone, tablets provide the perfect size screen to enjoy your favorite books.

Watching Videos/TV – Streaming videos on YouTube or shows on Netflix are becoming as mainstream as watching a weekly show on one of the major TV networks. The screen size lends itself well to snuggling in for the night and binging on your favorite show.

Portability – Because the tablet has a larger screen and larger virtual keyboard, it makes it easier to do things on the go. If you are flying across the country and need to catch up on work, the tablet provides an easy alternative to the small screen of a smartphone and the weight and larger surface size of the laptop.

Laptop versus Tablet

When Apple launched its iPad Pro, they marketed it as the replacement to the laptop. Even though they have made some great strides with things like multi-tasking, there still seems to be hesitation for many to move completely away from a personal computer.

The biggest downside of smartphones and tablets is the lack of the built-in mouse and keyboard. For a lot of the activities listed above this isn’t an issue, but there are many uses that may make a PC a better option for you.

The combination of a keyboard and mouse makes it more efficient for entering a lot of text or video/photo editing. For individuals who are typing emails all day or working in spreadsheets on a regular basis, they will likely be happier, and more productive, with a laptop (or desktop) versus a tablet.

In the past, storage was a big advantage PC’s has, but the evolution of the cloud has made that more of a moot point.

The answer is that the PC is not dead, but it’s not 2005 anymore so not every household needs a laptop or desktop. Smartphones and tablets provide a proven alternative for the everyday internet surfer/streamer/social media user, but when it comes the more heavy-duty, business-type uses, a PC is still the way to go.

What are you using these days? Do you have one or the other that is no longer used? Is your smartphone used for most activities? Let me know what you are doing!