{"id":1165,"date":"2020-01-30T03:17:15","date_gmt":"2020-01-30T03:17:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/?p=1165"},"modified":"2021-05-10T06:34:28","modified_gmt":"2021-05-10T06:34:28","slug":"best-tablets-for-writers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/best-tablets-for-writers\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Tablets for Writers in 2021: Our Editor’s Top Picks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Note: This article contains affiliate links, which means Clippings.me may receive a small payment if you purchase any of these products after clicking. Our editorial picks are NOT affected by this.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ever fantasize about sitting by the beach, breeze in your hair, sipping a cup of coffee and tapping out your latest commission as the waves gently crash onto the sand next to you? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That, my fellow writer, is the on-the-go dream \u2013 an unfathomable idea 20 years ago, but extremely achievable today thanks to modern tablet computers, which lend themselves to writing on the go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first time ever, today\u2019s tablets are viable alternatives to laptops for most writers, boasting large screen sizes, a bunch of different input options and the power to handle everything from word processing to image editing, spreadsheet analysis and accounting software.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re wondering how that came about, you can thank the massive shift to cloud-based software (i.e. tools that run remotely via an internet connection, vs being installed on your machine) and the advanced operating systems running on modern tablets, which are edging closer to their laptop\/desktop counterparts in terms of features and usability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Combine all that potential with a decent keyboard (surely the most basic requirement if you\u2019re averaging 5,000-10,000 words a week), and you\u2019ve got yourself a machine that really delivers freedom from the office, and is small enough to slip into your bag. The question is, which is the best tablet for writers<\/strong>? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Microsoft<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After spending weeks testing the top models on the market, we believe that the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is the best tablet for writers available on the market in 2021.<\/strong> It’s light, fast, compatible with all of the applications a writer might need day-to-day, and has a keyboard which outperforms the rest. Read the full review by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Tablets for Writers At A Glance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
  1. Microsoft Surface Pro 7<\/a><\/li>
  2. Apple iPad Pro<\/a><\/li>
  3. HP Elite x2<\/a><\/li>
  4. Lenovo Flex<\/a><\/li>
  5. Samsung Galaxy Book<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Read on to learn more about our top picks, and what you should be looking for before you purchase…<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

    Why trust our review? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Here at Clippings.me, we\u2019re professional writers who have made a living from freelancing, portfolio services and blog management. We do a lot of words on a weekly basis, whether that\u2019s emails to other people, copywriting for email marketing, blog posts or submissions to other publications\/sites.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We\u2019re also pretty tech-heavy (operating the largest writing portfolio site on the web), so we know our RAM from our flash storage and we\u2019re pretty specific about the kind of screens we want to look at all day. We’ve written extensively about tech products in the past – including our guide to the best laptops for writers in 2020<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How we shortlisted <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Sufficient screen size <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Brass tacks on screen size \u2013 bigger is better, for almost every task a writer needs to complete, whether that\u2019s researching, writing or admin tasks. That rule is tempered only by weight (portability) and battery life, as large screens are heavier and more power hungry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    A satisfactory screen size is a tough thing to find in a tablet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    For this reason, we can\u2019t recommend models like the 9.7″ or 10.1\u201d iPad Pro or the 10\u201d Microsoft Surface Go \u2013 the screen sizes are simply too small for all-day, every-day use. It also rules out every model in the popular Samsung Galaxy range, which offer screen sizes of 10.5\u201d and below. Writers need something which is comfortable to carry AND stare at all day, which realistically means the best tablet is going to have a screen size of over 11\u201d, and ideally 12\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That restricts our choice to the 12.3\u201d screen on the Microsoft Surface Pro or the 12.9\u201d Apple iPad Pro. The Apple iPad has a slightly larger “retina display” but in our experience, the difference between the two wasn\u2019t noticeable.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We desperately wanted to include some smaller tablets in this roundup, not least because they\u2019re often significantly cheaper. Sadly, after trying to work for just one day from the Apple iPad Pro 10.1\u201d, we concluded that anything under an 11\u201d screen simply isn\u2019t a viable laptop replacement for writers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Operating System <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"
    Windows 10, now running on a tablet near you.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Many large-screen tablets run Windows 10, which means they\u2019re interoperable with most files and programs inside the Windows ecosystem. Office documents written in Word and Excel open without a problem, and you\u2019ll be able to browse the internet using Internet Explorer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Controversially, Apple has refused to port OS X (the operating system used by Mac laptops) to iPad, instead releasing a version of iOS which it terms iPadOS. For anyone who uses an iPhone, iPadOS feels very familiar and includes some enhanced capabilities such as split-screening, drag and drop functionality and the ability to read a USB stick.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That said… It\u2019s still not a full operating system. Compared to Windows 10, iPadOS feels limited, and being forced to use iOS versions of apps (instead of full desktop versions) is frustrating too. As a writer, your workflow will adapt (using the split screen feature to do research in Safari and also having a document open for editing on the right, for instance), but it\u2019s an annoying compromise to make. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    All in all, if it weren\u2019t for Apple\u2019s huge market share (between 30% and 50% of the market, depending on which market you\u2019re looking at), we probably would have excluded the iPad from this round up. Tablets running Android were excluded for the same reason \u2013 it simply can\u2019t support much of the day to day stuff that\u2019s required on the go (in fact, it offers an even worse experience than iPadOS). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Chrome OS, Google\u2019s cloud-based operating system, has huge potential in the tablet market \u2013 the Pixel Slate ticked many boxes in terms of screen size, keyboard support, power and battery life. However, initial reviews were extremely poor and after less than a year on the market, the device was canned. We\u2019re still waiting for a machine which can deliver the promise of a cloud-based operating system such as Chrome OS \u2013 but for now, this is a two-horse race between Windows 10 and iPadOS. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Keyboard <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"
    A keyboard that works is simply a must-have for writers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Finally, we decided to discount any model that didn\u2019t offer a satisfactory typing experience. This is a difficult thing to measure, not least because I enjoy thrashing keys to within an inch of their life (and not everybody does), but if you\u2019re going to be bashing out thousands of words a day on this, you need a keyboard which will work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This meant that we instantly discounted any device that didn\u2019t include a mechanical (moving) keyboard \u2013 on-screen keyboards obviously aren’t viable for writers, and nor are the more \u2018out-there\u2019 dual-screen keyboards such as that sported by the Lenovo Yoga (a tablet so expensive we wouldn\u2019t have bothered including it anyway). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    At the outset, we thought the best tablet for writers would have a keyboard similar to a “traditional” plugin keyboards one might use with a PC, but actually, both our top picks had very different-feeling keyboards and were both very satisfying to use, even for extended periods of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Other things to look for <\/h3>\n\n\n\n