Tablet vs laptop for studying: the real verdict for students

Tablet vs laptop for studying: the real verdict for students 

Let’s be real here, this is a big choice. It’s not about what other people are using, what costs the least, what the latest tech is – this choice has got to be based on your personal study habits, course requirements and budget.  

To help you decide whether you need a tablet as well as a laptop to study with, we’ve pulled together a list of pros and cons, so you don’t have to. 

The case for laptops

+ Starting with the main and most glaringly obvious visual difference: the presence of a keyboard. Depending on which course you’re taking, 3 years of university involves a LOT of typing – whether it’s making notes, writing assignments, sending emails.  

For this reason, having a self-standing device with its own physical keyboard separate from the screen, is definitely a point for team laptop. 

+ Better compatibility with course-specific software. Speaking from experience (psychology grad 👋) not all software is compatible with tablet devices. If an assignment requires you to learn or use a certain software as a part of your course, you might want to look ahead and ensure its compatible with your device before you make the purchase. 

+ Screen size.  
You can get some BIG tablet devices, but as soon as that keyboard pops up, you lose half the screen! With a laptop, not only is the screen size larger, but it’s self-standing and more compatible with monitors. This way, you can split screen, use multiple screens to look at and explore multiple windows at once! 

+ In-built file management.  
Tablet devices do have designated areas to store files, but they’re not as interactive or customisable as the organisation systems built into laptops. It’s here you can colour code folders, creating your own filing systems that work for you, helping you to find the learning materials you need, when you need them. 

– They’re not as portable.  
They’re bigger, heavier and just not as convenient as smaller, tablet devices. Taking a laptop to uni in a bag already filled with study snacks, books and a water bottle, make it so much heavier and less comfortable to carry around university or on the long commute to and from campus. 

– Battery life. Typically (device dependent of course), tablets offer 8-15 hours of charge, where laptops usually offer 5-10 hours of charge. For an hour-long lecture, it’s not going to make much of a difference but for a whole day of lectures, you might be anxiously watching the battery % instead of concentrating on your learning. 

– Reading strain. Reading on a laptop generally causes more eye strain than a tablet. The structure of a laptop means that small text is further away from your eyes, requiring more muscle effort to focus.  
BUT we have the answer to this one (cue humble brag). Reading on Kortext means you can easily change the text size or zoom in and out to make text bigger. This way you can reduce the strain on your eyes when tackling your reading list! 

TLDR  

The case for tablets 

+ Easier to read from 
Think about curling up with an eBook, blanket round you, cuppa tea on the go, legs tucked up beneath you on the sofa. You could read on a tablet quite comfortably here, holding it as close or as far away from your eyes as you need. Doing this with a bulky laptop just isn’t comfortable – tablets take the win here. 

+ Tends to be cheaper (device-dependent) 

Looking into the stats, tablets average around £100-£300 for an entry-level device, whereas laptop can cost anything from £400-£2000+.  
As with any product though, you tend to get what you pay for. It’s always good to look at your course needs and purchase accordingly. Someone taking on a software-heavy course may need a more expensive device with more processing power than another student on a more practical-heavy course. 

+ So many add on options! 

Cases with keyboards, Bluetooth mouses, kickstands, I could go on! The variety of attachments that are available for tablet devices is broad – if you’re a student who loves to customise, a tablet could be the way forward (remember to watch the price tag as these add-ons can add up!).  

+ Good for art-based courses 

Digital drawing is a huge part of so many arts-based degrees. Devices that are made for drawing and the Bluetooth pens that go with them are almost an essential!  

– Keyboard takes up a lot of the screen.  
We mentioned this earlier, but it really is the main sticking point. Typing is awkward without a keyboard and it’s hard to have full visibility of the page as you type! Unless you’re willing to spend on a Bluetooth keyboard, this really is a tricky hurdle to get around. 

– Multiple windows are clunky to navigate 

It’s not as easy to multitask on a tablet as it is on a laptop. When you’re researching and you have about 50 tabs worth of journal articles open on your browser, it’s far easier to click between them on a laptop, than it is a tablet.  

– Distractions from other apps 

Tablets tend to have that distraction factor that laptops don’t. With all the social media and streaming apps downloaded and messages pinging through, it’s not so easy to compartmentalise study-time with down-time as it is on a laptop. 

An option is to get an app that locks your ‘distraction apps’ between a certain timeframe or after a certain amount of screen time – but still, it never helps to have the temptation right there on your home screen! 

TLDR 

Ever thought about using BOTH? 

We’re pushing the £ budget a bit beyond limits here, but if there’s an old tablet that your parents have sitting around and collecting dust or if you’ve had one for a while that still works – then we’re on to a winner. 

Using both tablet and laptop can save the need for an additional monitor! Have your lecture video on the tablet and make notes on your laptop as you go.  

Using multiple devices at once opens up a variety of different options, so you can study in a way that works for you. 

Realistically, laptops are a bit of a non-negotiable for university, but tablets as an additional device definitely have their benefits. If your budget can’t stretch to having one, a laptop is all you need to be able to ace your course! 

How Kortext can help 

Our study platform is designed to be compatible with all devices. Using our specially designed apps, you can read offline, listen to your text aloud, make notes and enjoy all the same functionality that you’re used to on the web browser! 

The best part? All your notes and progress will automatically sync to your Kortext account, so you can pick up right where you left off when you next login on a different device! 

Have you tried our mobile and desktop apps yet? It’s the only way you can download your books for offline reading! 

Click here to find the app compatible with your device and unlock your direct route to smarter study.