Over the past month or so my friend and I have been obsessing over the Windows Surface, specifically the Surface 2 that is coming out soon. From the full keyboard, full Windows Office suite compatibility, to the sheer processing power makes us both talk constantly about how awesome it would be to own the Surface.
The question I ask myself is this: Do I really need a tablet or is it an unnecessary ‘splurge’ that wastes money that could better be used elsewhere?
There are pros and cons to purchasing a tablet, and everyone will answer this question differently.
Why I didn’t want a tablet until now
Tablets have now been around for quite some time. E-readers were incredibly popular (and continue to be), but the tablets that are on the market today or will be on the market in the near future take technology to a whole new level. That’s a big reason why I didn’t really consider purchasing a tablet until now.
I’ve always been a fan of Microsoft and have many fond memories growing up using Windows 95, 98, and other versions of Windows on my parent’s desktop computers. I have become quite an Excel geek and have a hard time imaging using a Macbook for personal or professional purposes.
The tablet I am considering purchasing is the Microsoft Surface 2. The Surface 2 is $449 and is practically a whole new machine compared to the ill-received Surface RT. I read a review of the Surface RT by someone who uses Excel heavily in his day-to-day profession and he said it best when he said “when you want to actually get work done, this is the best tablet on the market.” Exactly what I’m looking for.
Now let’s move on to actually looking at the pros and cons of purchasing a tablet. Keep in mind I’m personally considering the Surface so this is largely focused on that product, though I think many pros/cons can be applied to tablets in general.
Reasons to purchase a tablet
There are a number of benefits of owning a tablet, including:
- Easy to Transport – Possibly the biggest advantage of owning a tablet is that it’s easy to transport. As a blog owner I frequently take my laptop with me when I leave the house. This has become a bit of a pain in the mornings in particular as I work on the blog in the morning before my full-time job and then always have to pack it up when I leave for the day. A tablet would simply be easier to take with on-the-go.
Another obvious benefit of a lightweight tablet is that it’s easy to transport. For example, the Surface 2 weighs less than 1.5 pounds and is 8.9mm thin. If you are traveling it’s much easier to put a slim tablet in your carry-on versus a laptop.
- Comparable to a Laptop – Tablets today are coming very close to having the capabilities of a laptop. While there is less storage than a laptop, you have to look no further than the Surface 2 to see a tablet that can do most anything a laptop can do.
The Surface can run the full Office suite and has a full keyboard. Additionally they have made it so that it’s much easier to use in your lap, similar to a laptop. This is essentially exactly what I’m looking for when I’m working on managing my blog or working in Microsoft Excel. Tablets today are practically screaming “use me for something other than youtube!”
- Tax Write-Off – This won’t apply to everyone, but if you purchase a tablet and use it primarily for a small business or side hustle you may be able to write it off on your taxes as a business expense. A large majority of the time I spend on my laptop is for managing this blog. If I purchased a tablet I plan on using it primarily for business purposes, allowing me to write it off as a business expense.
Of course, consult a professional if you plan on doing this as I am not a tax professional.
- Entertainment – I almost didn’t include this because it’s such an obvious benefit of having a tablet. Whether it’s reading books, watching videos, or playing games, tablets offer you more entertainment than you can possibly imagine.
Reasons to not purchase a tablet
Even if there are a ton of benefits to purchasing a laptop, I constantly question whether they justify the purchase. There are plenty of reasons not to purchase a tablet, including:
- Use a Laptop Instead – The main reason I like the Microsoft Surface 2 is because it is similar to a laptop. If the primary reason for me getting a tablet is because it’s similar to a laptop, why not just buy another laptop? Sure, it would be more difficult to transport and does not offer things like a removable keyboard, but I think it’s important to question whether you will truly get the value out of a tablet that you think you will.
- Only use for a few months – I have a friend who got an iPad and he used it quite a bit when he first purchased it. Now he pretty much never even touches it. Between his smart phone and laptop he doesn’t see the value added in using an iPad as well.
My biggest fear when it comes to purchasing a Microsoft Surface 2 is that I rarely end up using it. I’m so used to using only my laptop and smart phone, will I really take full advantage of what a tablet has to offer?
There are some purchases that are no-brainers: a new furnace when the old one breaks; a new tire when you get a flat; a cell phone when your current one stops working.
Purchasing a tablet isn’t as clear-cut in my opinion. Can you live without it? Yes. Can it benefit you? Yes. Do you need it? Usually no. Can it improve your quality of life? Yes.
I pose the question to you now, readers: Are tablets a waste of money or a purchase that is justified?
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I use my tablet every single day and I would rate it as the best money we’ve spent in the last year. I use it for managing moneystepper, but also for daily calls with friends & family, checking emails, web browsing, listening to podcasts, the radio, watching TV, pretty much everything.
However, I don’t have a smartphone so this might be different if I did…
moneystepper Good point about the smart phone. I use mine pretty much constantly each day, but it can be frustrating at times as I know for a fact things like Twitter, Facebook, heck even email runs slower than on a laptop. I think if I had a tablet I’d use it quite a bit but I still need to weigh the pros and cons of a tablet versus laptop. I think it would be a different conversation if my laptop was crapping out and I was considering a tablet as a replacement.
I’m an IT manager and don’t have/need a tablet, since I have an ultrabook laptop and a smartphone. To me, the Surface is an awesome device, but it would only serve my needs as a laptop replacement, not as a 3rd device. My phone is capable of 3/4 of the tasks a tablet would perform, and it fits in my pocket.
Just my two cents.
fipilgrimThis is the dilemma I’m facing. Is it worth anything as a third device, or should it only be viewed as a laptop replacement (especially if we are talking about the Surface)? I need to decide how much value it would serve me personally in each of those roles.
I don’t have a tablet…but my four-year-old wishes I did. She loves playing games on other people’s! I might get her a generic one at some point if I find one cheap enough =)
Holly at ClubThriftyThis reminds me of my cousin who uses my Aunt’s ipad all the time. She has a language-learning app on it, a baking game, and even watches baking videos (ones made for adults haha like Betty Crocker). Kids love technology.
If you buy a surface, you might be surprised how much you use it after you buy it. I ended up getting a Lenova Yoga 13″ because it’s essentially a GIANT tablet but since it’s mainly a laptop, I paid more than that $400 price tag. If you do buy one, I suggest going with the most flash memory space you can afford but I’m sure you already knew that! :)
Tara Zee Thanks for the insight, Tara! I like the fact that the Surface is a decent size and the screen definitely is big enough to watch videos and to get work done in spreadsheets or, of course, blogging!
We avoided the tablet craze for some time, but I buckled earlier this year. It does have some good points, as well as bad. I don’t think it’ll replace the laptop…at least for a while. That said, it has been incredibly useful for us when we go to client meetings as we don’t have to lug around the laptop. The tax write off ain’t too bad either. ;)
FrugalRules Haha the tax write-off definitely makes it more attractive. If I had to travel and meet with clients I’d probably get one for sure.
Everytime I’ve used a tablet I’ve said to myself “Where’s the damn keyboard” or…I keep looking for features or ports that aren’t there. No tablet for this guy…I’ll gladly carry around the couple of extra pounds and have my laptop. I lift weights 4 times a week so it’s not a problem. LOL.
DebtChronicles That’s partly why I didn’t think too much about tablets until I saw the Surface. USB port and snap on keyboard makes it much more desirable. Haha so funny about the weights, I need to get on that.
NIce post, DC. Very timely for the Holidays! This is a question that I’ve been grappling with for awhile. My husband uses the laptop 95% of the time when we are home – mostly for gaming to get free rooms, buffets, and entertainment for our Las Vegas trips – who can interfere with that? But, I use the laptop for our finances and other “legit” work, like reading your blog. If I get a tablet, it would be a laptop replacement for me. I don’t have a smart phone and don’t plan on getting one. The screens are just too small for aging eyes. I’ve migrated from not getting a Surface to getting one. I’m not all the way to writing the check yet, but I think I will. Victoria’s Dad said that if he were to get a tablet, it would be the Surface. I think that by Christmas, I’ll be the proud owner of a tablet. Your post helped me move a little closer to that end. Thanks!
RobertaRenstromNyquist I’m not even considering anything but the tablet. Good for JEP for getting the free rooms and buffets! Definitely gives you a reason to head out to Vegas : ) I think you could definitely justify getting a Surface. Funny how you categorize reading my blog as “legitimate work” ;)
I really think it depends on what you’re using it for. If you have a business or a side hustle that keeps you mobile, I think a tablet is a great tool. If you’re just using it to play around on – well, you’ve probably got a smartphone already that would work just as well for that. If you’re going to use it, I think it’s probably worth the money, especially as there are cheap options available. I have a Kindle Fire (the original one) that I got after Christmas in 2011. It still works just fine and I love it – and it was only $200. If I buy a new tablet, I may upgrade to something like the Surface, but for now I’m really happy with my little bargain ereader-that-doubles-as-tablet :)
I’ve never really considered buying one for exactly the reasons you mentioned: I already have a smart phone and a laptop and I’m not sure what capability I would be adding with a tablet. I still don’t see it, though it sounds like we’re moving in a direction where someone like me who uses a laptop mostly just for basic things could replace it with a tablet.
I *almost* bought a tablet with keyboard last month when my laptop started to act up. But the sales guy was pushing the warranty, etc. and was quoting me almost $1000 for a tablet… no thanks!
I am going to need to replace my current laptop soon, but I’m pretty sure a tablet isn’t for me. I don’t travel much, and the only time I move my current laptop is when I want to sit outside in the summer to blog. A new laptop is probably my better bet.
mylifeiguess $1k?!? Insanity!!! I think I would have trouble going with ONLY a tablet and not having a laptop as well, though that makes me wonder…doesn’t that defeat the purpose?
I’ve always found tablets to be redundant. I already have a smartphone and a laptop which is a macbook air so weight is not an issue.
brokeandbeau I heard the Surface RT is about the same weight as the macbook air. I hear you about the redundancy!
I’m with Stefanie. I don’t see the point of tablets. Screens are small, so I’d rather stream TV shows off my computer and the keyboards are too tiny to type well on. You can buy such lightweight laptops these days, I’d rather stick with a laptop than a tablet.
That being said, I know TONS of people who absolutely love their tablets and swear by them. I’m just usually late to all technology parties. Just typically content with what I have, until it breaks.
I honestly would have never gotten my iPad if it wasn’t kind of a gift (long story). I would have always WANTED one, but just couldn’t justify it for all the reasons you mentioned. I have a laptop, mac tower, and iPhone, so why bother. But I do LOVE it and use it almost every day in some capacity.
We’ve avoided this craze as well. I think when we finally pull the trigger it will be for an educational one for our son.
I was thinking about this exact question a couple of months ago. I was debating between a tablet, Chromebook, or a full out laptop. My issue is that I use excel a lot for the blog, so a non-Microsoft tablet was out of the question. Since I like excel, the Chromebook got eliminated as well and I went with a Lenovo laptop (and it still doesn’t have that much space).
In terms of tablets in general, I have a Nexus 7, but I honestly never use it. If I want to surf the web aimlessly, I use my phone and if I want to do more hardcore research or rock excel, I’ll use the laptop. Not really sure where the tablet fits in.
Roger@lifelaidout You should sell your Nexus 7 if you don’t use it. I know a number of people who do not use their tablets and I just keep thinking of how they should cash them in! There are people who are on the fence (like me) who might jump at the opportunity for a discounted used tablet.
DC @ Young Adult Money Roger@lifelaidout It’s weird, I never use the tablet, but I’m not at the stage yet where I’d like to sell it. With that said, if I do get in the mood very soon, I’ll definitely let you know! Could be a win-win!
I got an iPad as a gift. It def wast something I planned on buying. However now that I have one I think I won’t be able to go without. I love the big screen. I mostly just use it for email and surfing the we.
I usually just do everything from my android phone. So for me there’s no real need for a tablet. I have an iPad that I don’t even use. I haven’t even charged the thing in months.
MonaSez You should sell it!
I’m pretty content with my laptop, smartphone, and e-reader for now. Tablets are nice (I used an iPad for online classes back in the day), but I really just don’t have the need right now.
That said, it would be nice to have as a laptop backup (my hard drive is wonky these days).
Erin My Alternate Life I hear you on the laptop backup. If mine crapped out I would panic and purchase one the same day or the very next day. Ah the life of a blogger…
In my case, I paid less than $200 for my iPad by using some Amex points. I’ve had it for over 2 years and I still use it everyday for reading books, emails, surfing the web, doing research. For me it was completely worth it. I think it depends on your individual needs.
Practical Cents That’s a pretty good deal! I feel like there is a divide – people who use it every day and people who pretty much never use it. It seems like if you buy it you just have to make use of it and get in the habit of utilizing it.
I really like my tablet for watching videos and looking at recipes. Haha… The screen size is perfect for both. I sometimes use it for reading too. I have a Google Nexus tablet.
OutlierModel Nice, I’ve heard good things about tablets for reading and videos. I could see myself laying in bed watching some DVDs, mainly because I don’t have a TV in the bedroom.
I thought long and hard before buying my iPad. I also wondered if it would be worth it. I stopped to look at it all the time at Best Buy or Verizon. I finally gave in, getting the new one on sale last year and using some gift cards. I continue to use it every day. I had a Kindle but had given it to my dad, so I was using it for reading as well as keeping up with blogs. My laptop also kind of died this past year, so I only have a desktop, and the portability aspect was important.
It is largely used for entertainment purposes. I’m not as productive on it mostly because of the lack of a keyboard. I’ve been looking into getting a bluetooth one, but to be honest, I sometimes think a lightweight laptop would work better. The Surface does seem more productivity oriented with the full office suite. I also like it because it comes in purple!
JourneytoSaving I have a friend who told me yesterday his iPad was the best purchase he’s ever made. He uses it almost solely for entertainment, but he uses it every single day and hasn’t touched his laptop the past couple months. If you are looking for something for entertainment purposes it sounds like tablets are the way to go.
I think it’s a justified purchase. I’ve had 3 tablets now. I first got the Kindle Fire 1st generation when I won it in a contest. I loved it, and my wife still uses it on a daily basis. I then ended up winning another tablet, the Google Nexus 7. I used it for about a year, and again – loved it. It was even better for productivity tasks, and I used it on a daily basis. To a degree it has replaced my laptop computer, I hardly ever use it anymore.
A couple of months ago I dropped my Nexus and shattered the screen. I was still able to sell it for a decent amount (for a broken tablet) on ebay and ended up buying the new version of the Nexus 7. Once again, I’m loving it, and I use it constantly ever day. It has become one of my main web surfing, email and note taking utilities. Highly recommended.
moneymatters You might not know this, but I give you a ton of credit for getting me and my wife started in giveaways. I remember you mentioning winning the Nexus 7 in a giveaway and I’ve been convinced it’s just a matter of time until I win one ;)
DC @ Young Adult Money moneymatters If you enter enough of those giveaways you will start winning the odd one here and there. I’ve won quite a bit of stuff in those blog giveaways! 2 tablets, a couple hundred in Amazon gift cards, a nice drill, bike parts, and a bunch more. With blog contests you have a much higher chance of winning than say a giveaway by a big company..
moneymatters I have to admit, my wife and I also have won a TON of prizes through giveaways, though we also enter a ton. I’ve only entered big ones the past two weeks because I’ve been too busy, but it’s always nice winning a $200 gift cards and $400 lawn mowers haha. I’m going to win that tablet sooner or later!
I’m currently using my Motorola Xoom tablet as a second monitor for my computer at work since I can’t really afford to buy a second monitor at the moment and I also hate not dual screening. :) Otherwise, I use it as my laptop for taking notes in meetings because I have a bluetooth keyboard to go along with it. Much lighter than lugging around my Lenovo beast-of-a-gaming laptop everywhere that only gets about 3.5 hours of battery life if I’m lucky.
JonathanAlstad Hmmm this really makes sense but unfortunately wouldn’t work at my office. You can’t use personal devices for work. I also hate not dual-screening but I often find myself using just my laptop in the kitchen/living room. If I got a surface I could dual screen much easier.
DC @ Young Adult Money JonathanAlstad AH that kind of sucks. They don’t care what I use here, but they also don’t really have the money to buy extra monitors for people. As far as the Surface goes, as long as you’ve got that keyboard, I think you’ll give it significant use, but then you’ll probably start neglecting your laptop. You can only spend so much time on computers each day, no matter what form they take.
Eventually/ideally, tablet sized computers will be the norm and there won’t be a need for that differentiation of platforms. I believe that once tech convergence finally occurs and portability and power can fully coexist, then we’ll just have one device serving all purposes and monitors will just be whatever happens to be around that we can connect to.
I think these guys were on the right track, it’s just not feasible quite yet. Soon though, I suspect… http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ubuntu-edge
JonathanAlstad Yeah definitely will be interesting to see what happens in the future. My monitor at work sucks, it has to be at least five years old and hurts my eyes because I go from the crappy monitor to my newer laptop all day.
Excellent breakdown DC. When my laptop finally conks out I will definitely consider a tablet, until then I can’t justify the cost. I love the portability of it and the Surface sounds like a great option for heavy MS Office users. This is where the iPad falls short for me, it is basically just a big iPhone without the phone, I wouldn’t be able to do much actual work on it.
RatherBeShopping There’s pretty much no way I would ever even consider an iPad. I don’t use Apple products and I hate that there is no USB port or keyboard. I may put off my purchase of the Surface until my laptop gets worse, but I think I would still purchase a cheap laptop just because I’d have a hard time imagining life without one haha.
I think that a tablet is a waste of money. Especially if you use a smartphone. I agree that if you will be typing then it is definitely more convenient than a laptop. I actually don’t have a problem doing most of my email replies and/or minor blogging via my iPhone. I considered getting an iPad to replace my HP laptop, but with the astronomical price I didn’t think it would repay me in value.
pharmacy05 I really dislike doing emails on my phone. Seems like it takes so much more effort. If I’m on my laptop I actually use Might Text to read and send texts – so much easier!
I think they’re reasonable if you truly are replacing a laptop (i.e. – when it is no longer functional, and if you are a user who can get by with tablet functionality). The problem with multiple devices is that it drastically increases all future purchases. That is, you’re now no longer just replacing laptops for the rest of your life, but a laptop and a tablet (and maybe a desktop and monitor and….)
DonebyForty Great point. It’s painful enough to shell out cash to replace a laptop, since nowadays they seem to be pretty dang similar when you upgrade (at least in my opinion).
There was a time I really wanted a tablet but after thinking twice, I realized I didn’t really need it. I can use my phone to do what I would use my tablet on. Right now I only own a desktop but I still would not consider a tablet because mostly my side hustles involve running video editing software and so my only portable/reasonable choice is a laptop with good specs. My old one decided to die and I have not replaced it.
BorrowedCents That’s kind of been my rationale for not getting a new tablet as well–phones, in my mind are just about as functional as tablets, to the point where the differentiation is not high enough to justify a purchase. Since we “have” to have phones, the tablets get the shaft. Only reason I got one a while back was gadget envy…so now I just keep this old Xoom tablet to keep me from wanting a newer, more expensive tablet. :P
OH, and if you’re actually seriously considering getting a powerful laptop, I’m finding my Lenovo Y510p to be the right price point/power ratio. :)
JonathanAlstad BorrowedCents I’m so conflicted about what to do! Having a smart phone definitely makes it a difficult choice because it really can do most things tablets can. Of course the Surface is closer to a laptop than any other tablet, but then you have to ask yourself why not just get a laptop? *sigh*
DC @ Young Adult Money JonathanAlstad BorrowedCents Or this, if you pull the trigger today. I love the build quality of Asus products, and I love Google’s apps. :)
I got an ipad mini and never used it. The hubs loves it though and uses it every day!
BudgetBlonde Good thing somebody gets use out of it! Good for him.
I’m much more a fan of using my desktop. Even with a laptop, I need to be using a mouse or it just feels off. B was asking if I would be interested in a Surface tablet for Christmas. It looks interesting but I’m still perfectly happy with my Kindle that I got two years ago. It serves my needs well enough.
MicrosMissions Oh I hear you about using a mouse. I have carpal tunnel so I wear a brace at work (though most of the time I forget to!). Kindle would be nice for reading, just never got around to buying one.
i bought the Google Nexus. I figured I should get it as I use my iPhone all the time to surf the web and the screen is tiny. I bought the older Nexus model which was on sale, I had a coupon plus I had some Staples rewards. I ended up paying like $125. It was a good deal, but I really don’t use it that often, so it has been a waste. I still use my iPhone and my laptop.
I have an iPad and I love it. :) While I love and use my laptop daily for work, my iPad is far more convenient to tuck into my purse (okay, that probably won’t work for you!) and take it with me. I can pull it out to take notes at meetings and I prefer using it over a smartphone when I’m on the go and can catch up on reading blogs, commenting or respond to emails. I use mine every day.
We LOVE our iPad. The husband and I are constantly fighting over who gets to use it. My only wish was that I could find a good bluetooth keyboard for it so I could do some more work. The one I have now is a mini sized one and I cannot get used to ti.
Personally, I think a chromebook is a much better purchase than a full-size (i.e. 10″) tablet. Not only is it much better for typing and general web-browsing, it is also $100 or more cheaper.
Tablets are a waist of money.
Everything you need on a tablet is on a smart phone such as apps, music, camera. And tablets are like a demo and crappier version of computers.
Especially if you’re a gamer. It’s hard to play Runescape on an ipad because first of all, its impossible to download java required to play it.
Also can you write your own code like html? Can you download programs? Can you write code for html or c++? Can you do any of this on an Ipad?
Do not buy tablets that are. Crap. Unless you what to spend hundreds to get a decent one Evan. Google play store are scammers and put all these crap games on the market place. Most of them on their are rarely updated. Or if you get a cheaper tablet say 100 or 200 you can not do anything of what googleplay store says. But its funny I run way more adevnced games with it then anything they have on their. They break to easy the screens mainly. Iv had to replace it 3 times because one wrong smack aghinst the screen it breaks. Tablets are cheaply made crap that they make to break so you spend more and more.my advice do not waste a cent get a laptop which is what I’m doing I’m selling my tablet good ridens to garbage.