Key Takeaways
- Portability: Laptops and iPads are highly portable and can be easily carried around, allowing you to work or browse the internet from different locations. Desktops are stationary and lack portability.
- Performance: Desktops offer superior performance with powerful processors, graphics cards, and larger RAM capacities, making them suitable for resource-intensive tasks. Laptops and iPads have lower performance capabilities due to compact form factors and power constraints.
- Display and Input: Desktops have larger screens and support multiple monitors, providing ample visual real estate. Laptops have built-in displays, while iPads have smaller screens. Desktops and laptops offer physical keyboards and mice, while iPads rely on touchscreens and virtual keyboards.
What is Laptop?
The laptop is said to be a personal computer that users can use portably. A laptop was designed to encompass all the functions of a desktop computer and allow them to run the same software to run similar files and applications. With the availability and portability, it is more expensive.
Unlikely a desktop computer, a laptop has a built-in monitor, touchscreen pad, speakers, and charging ports. And it is easy and quick to set it up. The screen size of a laptop display is 11 inches to 17 inches.
What is a Desktop?
A desktop computer or a desktop is said to be a personal computer established or fixed at a particular place without any hindrances. The size of a desktop is quite huge, which makes it cumbersome, and it is enabled to be a shift for the user’s convenience.
Various companies manufacture desktop computers, like – Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc. A desktop computer has a keyboard, mouse, and a CPU alongside it for its functioning, even though they gave you availability to additional add-on storage, fast RAM, or CPU.
The power source of a desktop is only the AC adapter connected to a fixed place. There are various screen sizes for a desktop, but the ideal range lies from 18 inches to 32 inches.
What is iPad?
iPad is a mini version of a computer that is developed by Apple Inc. company. It was first introduced in January 2010. The usual size of an iPad lies between a mobile phone and a laptop. The manufacturer of the iPad is Foxconn, and over time, various models of iPads have been released in the market.
An iPad is quite portable to use and carry around as it is a compact, lightweight, in-built battery that extends up to several hours. The screen size of an iPad ranges between 7.9 inches to 12.9 inches.
iPad comes with a virtual keyboard and touchscreen as an input device. It has no chance of upgradability to higher specifications.
Difference Between Laptop, Desktop, and iPad
- Laptops are designed to solve the purpose of carrying them around and are lightweight. Desktops are stationary and cannot be moved around; on the other hand, iPad is also designed to be portable and much similar to a tablet.
- The screen size of a laptop varies from 11 inches to 17 inches; for a desktop screen, it ranges from 18 inches to 32 inches, whereas for an iPad, the screen size is 7.9 inches to 12.9 inches.
- The input devices for a laptop are mainly a touchpad or a keyboard; a desktop has a mouse and keyboard, while an iPad has an on-screen keyboard and a touchscreen.
- The power source of a laptop is primarily an AC adapter and battery, as it has an in-built battery that makes it portable. In contrast, a desktop has an AC adapter, and an iPad has a battery that can run for a more extended hour.
- Laptops and iPads cannot be upgraded so quickly, whereas, on the other hand, a desktop can be upgraded by adding a fast CPU, storage, or RAM.
Comparison Between Laptop, Desktop, and iPad
| Parameter of Comparison | Laptop | Desktop | iPad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form Factor | Portable | Stationary | Portable |
| Screen size | 11 inches to 17 inches | 18 inches to 32 inches | 7.9 inches to 12.9 inches |
| Input Devices | Keyboard and touchpad | Keyboard and mouse | On-screen keyboard, touchscreen |
| Power Source | AC power adapter and battery | Only the AC power adapter | Battery |
| Upgradeability | It is very limited | Easy upgradable | Non-upgradable |
- https://he02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/sirirajmedj/article/view/96720
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15305058.2016.1160097
Last Updated : 19 July, 2023
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
