Tablet computers

The answer is: consider a tablet. If all you’re doing is surfing and emailing, then a tablet is ideal. Tablets are lightweight and super easy to use on the couch or in bed – they don’t have the size or bulky battery-charging requirements of a laptop.

If you do a bit of typing (longer than emails) or you’re looking for a lightweight work option, then you might want to invest in a detachable or bluetooth keyboard or even go for the Surface Pro range. In general, tablets can be great replacements for much of what you do on a laptop.

Compare the tablets we’ve tested.

If you plan on taking your device out and about with you, it’s important it can withstand the elements. Ingress Protection (IP) ratings indicate how resistant a device is to water and solids (dust/dirt).

IP ratings have two numbers. The first relates to solids, such as dust, and has a maximum rating of 6. The second relates to water and goes as high as 8. An X rating means it hasn’t been assessed for that type of protection.

Examples:

• IP55 and IP65 – Protected from most dust and low-pressure sprayed water
• IP67 – Dustproof and resistant to water up to a metre in depth
• IPX7 – Hasn’t been tested on dust particles, but is resistant to water up to a metre in depth.

See here for more on IP ratings and the different levels of protection.