Tablets with big screens still don’t offer the same display size as a laptop

Feb 20, 2014 14:13 GMT  ·  By

Since the advent of the productive tablet, many voices have been asking this question, will the slate be able to replace the notebook in the work environment?

The Wall Street Journal wanted to know the answer to the question too, so it put things to the test, by making one of their editors give up her MacBook in favor of some of the most popular tablets today, including the iPad Air, Samsung Galaxy NotePRO, Microsoft Surface Pro 2 and the Nokia Lumia 2520.

Right off the bat, she ruled out the iPad by noting that when writing emails or office documents a larger screen would be needed, on top of a roomy keyboard to juggle the programs.

In her work, the editor often has to multi-task between email, web browsing, word processing, Skype and Twitter use, so here are her conclusions after working with the slates.

When it came to switching between programs and opening more than one app on-screen, the Galaxy NotePRO proved to be right solution. But as it turns out, Windows 8 tablet offer the fastest way of multi-tasking by locking apps side-by-side, so you can easily move between them by virtue of keystrokes.

As for keyboards, the Surface Pro and the Galaxy NotePRO proved to have the best accessory, while the S-Pen proved to come in-handy during meetings by converting handwriting to tablet-based notes.

The best battery life came from the iPad Air and Galaxy NotePRO with over nine hours, while the Lumia was a little far behind with eight hours. The looser was Microsoft’s Surface, that only managed to provide a meager 5.5 hours.

Even so, her overall conclusions weren't favorable for tablets, as the editor noted she still preferred the MacBook Air or any 13-inch Windows laptop for working.

She pointed out bigger tablets lose their portability and as they become increasingly proficient for professional work, they straggle away from the real concept of “tablet.” Would you take your tablet to work or just rely on your laptop, as you have done so far?