Should I buy a tablet or laptop for college?

For most college students, a laptop is the primary, must-have device. It provides the full desktop operating system, multitasking capabilities, and keyboard comfort required for writing long papers, running specialized course software, and completing exams.

A tablet is best used as a companion device. It is exceptional for taking handwritten notes, annotating digital PDFs, sketching, and light reading, but it struggles to serve as your sole computer due to operating system limitations and restricted multitasking.

If you want the benefits of both, a 2-in-1 convertible laptop is the ideal middle ground, offering a full desktop operating system alongside a touchscreen and stylus support.

How to Choose by Major

• STEM, Business, and Computer Science: Choose a Laptop. You will need to run desktop-only software like MATLAB, coding IDEs, advanced Excel, or CAD programs that mobile tablet operating systems cannot support.
• Art, Design, and Humanities: A Tablet (like an iPad) with a stylus can work if you do a lot of sketching or digital illustration, though you may still need a laptop or campus computer lab for final projects.
• General Studies: A 2-in-1 Laptop offers the ultimate flexibility to type essays in your dorm and handwrite notes during lectures.