SINCE the iPad was released last year, tablets have become all the rage. A tablet is a flat screen whose surface is touch-enabled, eliminating the need for a physical keyboard. It’s lighter and more portable, thus making it handier to lug around. For most people whose online activities involve only surfing and checking e-mail, a compact tablet seems like a godsend.

With tablet prices almost equal to most notebook computers, a consumer is now torn between the traditional clamshell laptop and the spiffier new gadget on the block, the tablet.

Here’s a list of pros and cons to help you decide.

1. Portability
For people always on the move, portability is key. Tablets are easy to whip out and it’s so convenient to turn its screen on for reading or for quick browsing. Other tablets also have calling functionality which also eliminates the need for a phone.

2. Functionality
For those who need heavy-duty computing, here is where the tablet comes up short. Sacrificing essential ports and third-party hardware compatibility, like lack of USB ports for devices like hard drives, the tablet is more of a content-delivery device than a versatile working tool.

3. Ease of use
While tablets are handy for quick e-mailing or annotating a contract, starting a long document from scratch or creating a spreadsheet may prove not only tedious but tiring on a tablet. Forget touch-typing – it won’t happen with a touch screen keyboard. Plus, typing quickly on the capacitive keyboard with a shorter layout will require a learning curve that will take lots of time and patience to master. Without a stand to prop up the tablet at a proper viewing angle, you will end up having a crick in your neck looking down as you type. Tatin Yang