A Comparison of Computing Devices

This is the first in a series of posts about computing devices at home or that aren’t managed by the CLASSE IT group. We’ll be updating our recommendations on devices, vendors, and other aspects of computing outside the lab environment in this series.

This blog post is referencing home computing trends and is not an official recommendation for CLASSE managed computing. For recommendations on work computing, please submit a service request at service-classe@cornell.edu

A Comparison of Computing Devices

Today’s shopper has a lot of options when it comes to selecting a computing device. However, they fall into four basic popular categories- tablets, laptops, desktops, and Chromebooks. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, and the type you choose will largely be determined by what you will be using it for (and how mobile you need your technology to be!)

All devices these days have the ability to connect you to the Internet, but each device does so in different ways.  The three mobile devices- tablets, Chromebooks and laptops all are WiFi enabled. Some optionally can have 3G and 4G connectivity. This is “mobile data” and would work via your cell phone company, at an additional fee each month. Mobile Data enables connections nearly anywhere, but “Wifi enabled” only devices  require a Wifi hotspot (like a coffeeshop, library, or other public place) to surf the web.

Tablets and Chromebooks are handy for on the go mobile computing for checking email, surfing the internet, or watching Netflix. Basic desktop functions like typing a document are possible on Chromebooks or Tablets with the addition of a keyboard.  Laptops are better for mobile users who need more power, such as video gamers, students, executives or frequent travelers. Desktops are a traditional home computer; good to have in addition to any of the mobile devices.

Here are some brief descriptions of each:

Tablet-  The tablet is a handheld device which has the screen on one side and a solid back. They look like a very large cellphone. Currently there are two main operating systems you can choose from when deciding which tablet to buy- either android or Apple’s operating system. Tablets are a great economical choice, because they start at around just $50.  However, they can cost up to several hundred dollars for the tablets with the Apple (iOS) operating system. Battery life will vary across different models and so is important to find out. Some very cheap tablets only run for 1 hour on a charge. Very portable!

Chromebook – Chromebooks look like a laptop, but it is very lightweight and it is very easy to use. They are made by different manufacturers, but they all have one thing in common-  they only use Chrome, which is a browser. A Chromebook is a great choice for people who use the web a lot and do their work through the web.  Some have a very small amount of internal memory capability, but most storage is done in the Cloud.  The Chromebook cannot sync directly with other devices. In other words, it can only share files between devices via a cloud service provided by Google. Chromebooks start at about $200 new.

Laptop – Laptops have nearly all the capabilities of desktop computers but they are totally portable.  Some laptops are very thin and light, designed for students or business travelers.  Mobile workstation class laptops are much heavier.  They also come with different screen sizes.  Laptops have the ability to have nearly all the features of a desktop computer.  Some are even as powerful and can run more complicated programs.  Laptops start at around $400 and go up to over a two thousand dollars depending on features. In this category, price, size, battery life and weight are the differentiating factors.

Desktop- The desktop is the device everyone is most familiar with, and most people have one even if they also have one of the mobile devices above.  With a desktop one doesn’t have to worry about battery time.  Desktops are usually connected to the internet with a wire, though WiFi is an optional extra. A desktop can run either OSX operating systems (if it is an Apple) or, if it is not an Apple product, it can run any other operating system such as Windows or Linux.  Pricing starts at about $300 and goes up to several thousand depending on features like memory size and monitor size/quality.

No matter which device you choose, be sure to frequently backup your system to an outside device like a Cloud service or Terabyte drive (an external memory which you can back up your entire computer to).  It has a large storage capability and costs $50 and up.

Skip to toolbar