By The Chronicle Staff

For years, the difference between a tablet and a laptop was fairly simple. Tablets were great for watching videos, browsing the internet and checking email. Laptops were where you went when it was time to get serious work done.

That line is becoming increasingly difficult to draw.

Today's high-end tablets have processors powerful enough to rival — and sometimes outperform — laptops from only a few years ago. Add a keyboard, mouse or stylus, and an iPad or Android tablet can begin looking a lot like a traditional computer.

So, in 2026, do most people still need a laptop?

For many users, the answer may be no. But for anyone doing significant work, experts generally still give laptops the advantage.

For Everyday Tasks, a Tablet May Be Enough

Think about what you actually do on your computer.

If most of your time is spent checking email, browsing websites, shopping online, watching videos, taking notes, participating in video calls and using relatively simple apps, a modern tablet can handle nearly all of it.

Fredrik Hamberger of NVIDIA told Yahoo Tech that people whose computing primarily consists of email, browsing, video, note-taking and lighter applications could likely accomplish much of what they need with a tablet.

Some activities may actually be easier on tablets and smartphones.

Social media is an obvious example. Platforms including Instagram and TikTok were designed around mobile devices, and many creators now shoot, edit and publish videos without ever opening a traditional computer.

Banking, travel, shopping and other services have also increasingly built their experiences around mobile apps.

For someone whose computer is primarily an entertainment and communication device, buying a laptop simply because that's what people have traditionally purchased may no longer make sense.

Work Is Where Things Get Complicated

The situation changes considerably when the device becomes a workstation.

Modern tablets can multitask. Apple's iPads allow users to work with multiple windows, while Android tablets offer similar features. Samsung's DeX software can even transform compatible tablets into something resembling a desktop computer.

But resembling a laptop and replacing one aren't necessarily the same thing.

People who regularly move between a web browser, email, spreadsheets, messaging software, photo or video editing programs and multiple documents may find a tablet frustrating.

“Tablets are fantastic machines that hold a lot of processing power, but they are best at doing one specialized task at a time,” electronics recycling company founder Michael LeBeau told Yahoo Tech.

Traditional computers also continue to have advantages when it comes to file management, specialized software and desktop applications.

Programs used for professional video editing, engineering, design, programming and other specialized jobs may either be unavailable on tablets or offer fewer capabilities than their desktop versions.

The Hardware Isn't Necessarily the Problem

Interestingly, processing power may no longer be the biggest thing holding tablets back.

Apple's newest iPad Pro uses an M5 processor and is powerful enough for demanding tasks. Premium Android tablets have similarly impressive hardware.

The limitation is increasingly about how people interact with the device.

A touchscreen is excellent for scrolling, drawing, reading and consuming content. A keyboard, mouse, large display and traditional desktop operating system can still be considerably more efficient when someone is trying to manage several complicated tasks at once.

Accessories can help close that gap, but they also create another consideration: price.

Once a buyer purchases a premium tablet along with a quality keyboard, case and possibly a stylus, the total cost can approach — or exceed — the price of a capable laptop.

Meanwhile, inexpensive laptops and Chromebooks remain available for just a few hundred dollars.

Students Should Think Beyond This School Year

The tablet-versus-laptop question can be particularly important for students.

A tablet might easily handle today's assignments, but experts recommend considering what a student may need several years from now.

Research papers, spreadsheets, specialized applications, programming, video editing and increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence tools can all require more computing flexibility.

An NVIDIA-commissioned survey cited by Yahoo found that 64 percent of U.S. undergraduate students surveyed use multiple demanding applications daily or more frequently. Sixty percent said they use AI for research, while 38 percent use it for more complicated academic and creative work.

For those students, a laptop may provide more room to grow.

AI Could Eventually Change the Question

Artificial intelligence adds another interesting wrinkle.

Increasingly, users can accomplish tasks simply by talking to an AI assistant. Writing a first draft, organizing information, managing a calendar, researching a subject or even generating computer code may require less traditional interaction with a computer.

That raises the possibility that someday the device itself may matter much less.

If much of the actual computing happens through AI assistants or cloud services, users may simply choose whichever screen happens to be most convenient.

We aren't quite there yet.

Running demanding AI applications, editing large files, generating images locally and performing other intensive tasks still generally favors traditional computers.

So Which Should You Buy?

The easiest way to decide may be to ignore the specifications and think about how you actually use technology.

If your typical day involves browsing the internet, checking email, watching videos, social media, reading, shopping and occasional light work, a tablet may be the only personal computer you need.

If you're writing extensively, managing spreadsheets, editing video, working across several applications, using specialized programs or regularly connecting to multiple displays, the laptop remains difficult to replace.

And if you're uncertain?

The experts interviewed by Yahoo Tech generally recommended buying the laptop. In addition to productivity advantages, laptops are often easier to repair, upgrade or keep functioning for a longer period of time.

The tablet isn't replacing the laptop quite yet.

But the fact that consumers now have to seriously ask the question shows just how much these devices have changed.

A decade ago, a tablet was largely something you used alongside your computer.

In 2026, for a growing number of people, it may be the computer. ■