2-In-1 Vs Laptop: Which Is Better?

Laptops and 2 in 1 Laptops are both designed for people who wish to stay connected to the world and even work while they are on the go. Be it vacation, long drives, business trip or just time out cozying around at the comfort of your home, laptops were essentially designed to help you carry around your PC and offer the freedom from getting stuck to your desk if you wish to work or browse. Laptops came into being in the first place to offer the convenience of portability and using your PC just about anywhere. And the 2 in 1 Laptops just enhance this convenience.

In fact, the differences between a laptop and a 2-in-1 laptop or a hybrid laptop-tablet with a flip-screen may be subtle, but still there are some good differences that exist, and are important to know for those who are on the lookout for an able new light and portable laptop that can very well turn into a tablet as well when required.

So, what is actually better, a conventional laptop or a 2-in-1 hybrid laptop? There is really no straight answer to this and depends on your personal preferences and usage. While in many aspects the laptops and the 2 in 1 Laptops are exactly the same, there are some other categories, where these two are different.

Let us look into both the similarities and the difference between laptops and 2 in 1 Laptops to remove the confusion while choosing your new PC. Here’s the detailed 2-in-1 Vs Laptop comparison.

Portability

A laptop is basically portable. However, all laptops are not light enough and may require considerable muscle power if you wish to carry it around all the time. The 2-in-1 laptops are very lightweight and very sleek, as they are meant to offer the functionality of both laptop and tablet. The hybrid flip screen laptops are also considerably thinner than the traditional laptops, making them very much portable and easier to carry around. Plus, if you use and carry both laptop and a tablet, then a 2-in-1 laptop is definitely your thing.

In this department, the 2-in-1 is the pick.

Versatility

A 2-in-1 hybrid laptop with a flip-screen design offers great flexibility and four-way usability with its laptop mode, tablet mode, stand mode (for TV or movie watching) and tent mode (stable easel for full touch-screen interaction). 2-in-1s also come with soft touch exterior design that apart from smooth handling also make them more durable. Thus, a traditional laptop cannot compete with a 2-in-1’s design.

Here also, the 2-in-1 has an edge over the laptops.

Power

The long lasting laptops can offer up to a whopping 12 hour backing, while the average new models offer around 7-8 hours. The best flip screen 2-in-1 models in the market are increasingly powerful, with the latest offering around 9.5 hours of battery backup.

So, here also the 2-in-1 is the overall winner.

Display

The best 2-in-1 laptops in the market are 11 inchers, which is the perfect size for playing around or watching videos. While they might not offer the luxury of the large screen laptops of 15 or 17 inch displays, but they are also much less cumbersome as the large laptops. The best 11-inch 2-in-1 models also offer great picture quality that is almost as good as the conventional laptops.

Here, both the laptops and 2-in-1s score the same out here.

Processor Power

The best in the market 2-in-1’s are increasingly becoming very powerful are some come powered with Intel Atom quad-core processors which instantly launch all apps without sipping much on the battery life. However, conventional laptops are specifically designed to handle all your work, play and multitasking needs and offer more power and speed. Thus, laptops can definitely handle more intensive tasks better.

In this department, laptop is the ruler.

Memory

Many latest 2-in-1s offer 2 – 4 GB of RAM and 64 – 128 GB of inbuilt storage, which is at par with the laptops, but the laptops do offer more flexibility of upgrades.

Here as well, the laptops emerge as the ruler.

Programs

In the current time, the 2-in-1’s no longer offer just mobile versions of the popular applications like the Microsoft Office. The latest high-end 2 in 1 Laptops run on Windows 8.1 OS. This means that the latest 2-in-1s allow you to enjoy the authentic PC experience and can offer any program in order to let you use then work purposes on the go.

So, in this department, while the laptops used to be the ultimate winner, now it’s a tie between the 2-in-1s and the conventional laptops.

Browser

The laptops did use to have a clear edge over the 2-in-1s earlier, but not anymore. However, now the 2-in-1s are also as good as the laptops. And in this category as well, both laptops and 2-in-1s score equally.

Ports

Almost all laptops come with as many built-in ports that you need, while a good 2-in-1 can also offer all the goodies as well such as 3 USB 3.0 ports to connect keyboard, mouse and USB flash drive; a 3.5 mm audio jack to connect to speakers as well as headsets; a full size HDMI and DP ports to connect to external monitor; and an Ethernet – all these could be availed by adding a simple external dock.

So, here again we have a tie between the laptops and 2-in-1s.

Gaming

When it comes to gaming ranging from Angry Birds, to Candy Crush to Temple Run II, a 2-in-1 can handle anything. However, if you need superior gaming experience and are into hard-core heavy games such as the League of Legends or Guild Wars 2, then conventional laptops have to be the choice.

In this field, the laptops definitely have an edge over the 2-in-1 models.

Verdict

While many things are very similar between the laptops and the 2-in-1s, there are several differences as well. Again, while the 2-in-1s have an edge over the laptops in some categories, the laptops win in other departs.

It is also clear that those for whom portability, sleek design and laptop-cum-tablet usage are essential, the 2-in-1s are the pick. On the other hand, those who need great multitasking abilities, more powerful performance and heavy gaming experience, laptops remain the ultimate choice.