Report: Physical keyboard key to laptop's future

For all the hype surrounding the technology and the advantages they afford, tablets are not likely to spell the end for traditional PCs. As technology news provider Mobile Bloom reports, laptops will still play a significant role in the future of computing.

When it comes to tablet computers, portability is one benefit that can't be denied. Slimmer and lighter than laptops, tablets can fit more easily into one's bag and are more convenient to access while traveling on a train or airplane. Additionally, they have blazed new trails in terms of gaming, web browsing and mobile applications.

However, as Mobile Bloom notes, laptop computers are still king when it comes to productivity. The key is the physical keyboard, which most would agree is more familiar and easier to use than the virtual substitute on tablets.

"Physical keyboards are so easy to use because you don’t have to stare at the keys," the report states. "Your eyes are on the display, and not on the keys. If you’ve ever used a virtual keyboard, you know that your eyes are glued to the keys the entire time."

This is not to say that there isn't a future for tablets as well. On the contrary, an August 2011 report from market research firm In-Stat estimates that 250 million tablets will ship in 2017, a sizable increase from the 17 million that shipped in 2010.