We wrote a review on the Microsoft surface and can see the functionality of the Microsoft Surface. The Surface can be set up as a desktop and makes a great tablet for people on the go.
Several things happened this week that made me appreciate my laptop. As I began putting together the A/V (Audio/Video) presentation for the upcoming ATEA Conference (American Technical Education Association), I realized that my Intel Core i7 laptop with its SSD harddrive was powerful enough to produce the video and audio editing capabilities I needed.
Rick over at What’s On My PC is absolutely right (See his post). The price of my laptop is far cheaper than a Microsoft Surface or even an iPad with its 9 million accessories and the purchased apps I would need to make a basic PowerPoint. Besides, the i7 processor vs. the iPad 2 processor (12000+ vs. 900+ on FPU) is just no comparison. Tablets are tablets, they are made for mobility and just not what I need 99% of the time. I’m editing php and loading virtual machines, processing SQL queries and I keep systems and the infrastructure going that others use. Dollar for dollar, nothing beats a good laptop (or ultrabook). Tablets may be great for mobility at home or work and for basic troubleshooting in IT, but do we need this always connected society and the anxiety and stress that goes with always being connected? I don’t. A cellphone is too much – I’d overdose if I had a tablet.
Our PowerPoint for the ATEA conference has now reached nearly 1Gb (60% complete) with its embedded movies (and linked movies), flash content, special effects and add-ins. My laptop opens the presentation quickly and it runs flawlessly.
The capabilities of a good laptop that has an i7, SSD and plenty of memory is so much cheaper than a tablet, it just can’t be beat. And thinking on that, I also got a three year protection plan from accidents with the extended warranty. Rick is right- Us ’old guys’, maybe we are old school. But you know, maybe we are the ones who are right.
