With all of the tablets that have been circulating and selling like hotcakes this past year, it certainly seems as though the lowly notebook will soon be replaced by a tablet. But how real is this assumption? Will notebooks really become passГ©? Interestingly enough, a recent study conducted ABI Research shows that consumers aren’t actually ready to give up the notebook just yet. In fact, most consumers polled plan to buy a notebook within the next year or so.

That fact gets one to thinking: what are the main advantages and disadvantages of buying a notebook over buying a tablet – and vice versa? Do you really need a notebook if you have a tablet or will that new iPad or other tablet work just fine? If you want to know whether or not you should shell out some dough for a tablet or if a notebook is more your thing, here’s a way to break it all down.

What Tablets Have to Offer

The humble tablet can really pack a decent punch – if you buy the right one, that is. At the top of the tablet charts are the iPad, the Sony Tablet S, Asus Eee Pad Transformer, and the Kindle Fire (but that one borders more on the e-reader line). Top brands aside, tablets offer up some things that notebooks just don’t. What kinds of things? Well, for starters, tablets are a lot smaller in size, which actually does matter if you travel a lot or plan to move around frequently.

Tablets also have very decent battery life. If you’re familiar with the very short lifespan of a notebook battery, you know just how important this fact is. It’s also tough to ignore the many things that a tablet can do. Just think about it, a tablet can take photos and videos and double as an e-reader. You can’t snap a photo with your notebook or take a video (well, you can with a webcam, but that’s not quite the same thing). Of course, there are two sides to every coin, and the biggest problem with a tablet is the lack of an actual (I’m talking “in box”) keyboard. That’s where a notebook might be a better choice.

Why Notebooks Still Reign

As appealing as the tablet is, notebooks still claim a top consumer spot. Why? Notebooks have that full keyboard and wide screen thing going on. If you spend any amount of time typing or looking at the Internet daily, you know just how important a full keyboard and a big screen are. Notebooks also provide gamers with plenty of detail and definition thanks to that big screen, not to mention the fact that watching a movie on a notebook is a lot easier on the eyes than tuning into a tablet.

So, which one do you choose? If you have money to spare, switching between a notebook and tablet is a good option and both will serve you well. If you just want to buy one device and be done with it, ask yourself how often you use a computer. If you spend all day typing, you’ll quickly become frustrated with a tablet. If you are just a casual user, the new tablet might be a better buy (and some tablets are cheaper than notebooks too!).