Are you in need of a new device for browsing the Internet? But you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a new and full laptop for uses that may be somewhat limited, then you have two different but applicable options in front of you: either a Chromebook or a tablet, both devices allow you to easily stream videos, browse the web, and download apps.
But what makes these devices different from each other exactly? This helpful comparison can help you decide whether a Chromebook or a tablet is suitable for you or not, as we will talk about all the basic criteria that will help you make a choice and not be confused, so let’s get started.
Generally what is better Chromebook or tablet?
You may think that Chromebook devices can outperform tablets in terms of display, the latter tend to have a larger screen size of 11 inches or more but usually with a resolution of 1366 × 768, but they are more expensive compared to other display screens.
Display size and resolution depend on the brand, for example, the iPad Air has a 10.5-inch screen with a resolution of 2224 × 1668, while the Surface Go device has a resolution of 10 × 1800, and in both cases tablets tend to have higher resolution and better displays than Chromebook devices.
It should be noted that although all tablets use touch screens, not all Chromebook devices come with this feature, only some work with touch such as Google Pixelbook Go, Asus Chromebook Flip, and Samsung Chromebook Pro. Regardless of the device you are looking for, be sure to review the screen capability specifications.
Read also: 7 Important Steps to Choose the Right Tablet for Your Children’s Games
Criterion One: Portability
Tablets are the clear winner when it comes to portability, although they vary significantly in size, their weight is less than 2 pounds. The larger Pixel Slate with a 12.3-inch screen weighs only 1.6 pounds, not to mention that it is slightly thicker than a quarter of an inch, you will find that smaller tablets will have even lighter weight than this example.
As for Chromebook devices, they can weigh between 2 to 4 pounds, with the HP Chromebook 15 being on the heavier side at 4 pounds, while the Google Pixelbook Go is one of the lightest Chromebook devices weighing only 2.3 pounds, however, you can also easily fit the tablet into a backpack or a large purse, but it varies with a Chromebook device.
Criterion Two: Peripherals
Chromebooks come with a trackpad and a keyboard, the keyboard and the integrated mouse make it convenient for typing and browsing the web, when you’re done you can fold it and place it inside your bag just like a laptop, since the tablet has a touch screen by default, it does not come equipped with a keyboard and mouse.
Using the touch screen for typing can be tedious – you will find yourself slower and causing greater errors than if you were typing on a traditional keyboard, to avoid typing directly on the touch screen you can buy a Bluetooth keyboard for the tablet, this means that you will have to spend more money in addition to the tablet itself and the same applies to a Bluetooth stylus or mouse.
Criterion Three: Applications
You can install apps on both Chromebooks and tablets, but these apps will differ according to the operating system, Chromebook devices run on the Chrome OS, a system designed by Google to integrate easily with Google Drive and the Google Chrome browser, you can install powerful apps for Chrome devices such as Microsoft Office and Adobe programs in addition to games and streaming apps.
On Android tablets, you have access to millions of apps available on the Google Play Store, you can technically download apps from the Play Store on Chromebooks but many of them have not been optimized for the Chrome platform, with an iPad tablet, you also have millions of apps to choose from the Apple App Store.
Unfortunately, Chromebook devices are limited to apps from the Chrome electronic market and a selected range of apps from the Google Play Store, this means that Android and iOS tablets still have access to a wide range of apps, perhaps more than Chrome devices.
Criterion Four: Battery Life
Neither tablets nor Chromebook devices will disappoint you when it comes to battery life, both devices will last well for hours while performing any small tasks, Chrome devices can generally last up to 12 hours, the Acer Chromebook 14 can last 12 hours, while the Lenovo Chromebook S330 can last 10 hours.
Some tablets can last longer than Chromebook devices, the Yoga Tab 3 can last up to 15 hours before needing to be charged, but generally battery life for tablets and Chromebook devices depends on the model you choose.
Criterion Five: Performance
It is clear that you cannot expect heavy gaming on a tablet or Chromebook device, some advanced Chromebook devices have an Intel Core i5 or i7 CPU which gives them a huge performance upgrade, this means you will see faster loading times, easy-to-run applications, and better multitasking.
One of the most powerful tablets, the iPad Pro, has the A12X Bionic chip while the Google Pixel Slate has an Intel Core i5 processor, in other words, the performance of premium tablets and Chrome devices are almost linked, just like with the battery life, performance is comparable in any tablet and Chrome device based on hardware specifications as with regular laptops and computers.
More: Buying a Phone with a Removable vs Non-Removable Battery … Which is Better?
Criterion Six: Prices
You can’t beat the value of Chromebooks and tablets when comparing them to full-fledged laptops, at least you can find Chrome devices for $159 whereas some of the more performance-oriented devices (like the Google Pixelbook) cost around $1000, but the story is different with tablets.
For only $50 you can buy a cheap tablet such as the Amazon Fire 7, but you will have to shell out $800 if you want an iPad Pro, as mentioned earlier this price can increase if you want some peripherals, it is best to buy any device in the mid-price range and this way you can take advantage of the reasonable price and great performance of a mid-range device.
