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When laptops came out, they were huge. Despite weighing more than 10 lbs in the beginning, having a portable computer that you could take with you when you traveled was a huge deal and revolutionized how we saw the PC. Still, despite advances in technology, laptops are still bulky and can be difficult to take with you whether you’re traveling, walking around campus, or going to and from work.

Then entered the tablet. Unlike previous versions of the tablet PC, which typically were as big as laptops, these new tablets are small, typically 5 to 10 inches. They’re also very light, some being less than a pound. Even the lightest laptop can’t match that. Although many are just large smartphones, they allow users to browse the Internet, check email, write notes, and basically do anything that a laptop can do.

So will they replace laptops? Not likely . . . at least not yet. Although these devices are convenient, and great for times when you really don’t need the full capability of a laptop, most business leaders will still take their laptops with them when they travel.

Still, tablets are sharing some of the work that was exclusively used for laptops previously. You can make video calls, type up notes or an email, and get information from the Web. If the operating systems and applications on these devices improve enough, we might find laptops becoming obsolete in the next 20 years. Would you ever ditch your laptop for a tablet?