Tablet or laptop: what to buy for studying & notes

For reading, notes and video lessons, a tablet is light and cheap to run. For long essays, spreadsheets and anything that needs a real keyboard, a laptop is still easier.

When a tablet is enough

If most of your study is reading, watching lectures and handwriting notes, a tablet with a pen and a cover keyboard covers it, and it fits in a small bag.

When you need a laptop

Writing long texts, using desktop software or running several windows next to each other is where a laptop wins. It also pays off when you count the keyboard.

Our short answer

If you can have only one device, take the laptop. If you already have a laptop at home, a tablet is a good second screen for the library.