If you’re looking to become a blogger, you may wonder if you need a laptop. Having the right technology can make your work life a lot easier.
But does your lack of a laptop really keep you from succeeding? Keep reading to learn why you may or may not need to have a laptop to start your blog.
Before we get into it, this post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy to learn more.
Why You Need a Laptop as a Blogger
I’ve been blogging since the fall of 2013, and it’s been my main income stream since the beginning of 2019. At least for me, there are many good reasons to have a laptop as a blogger.
Here are my favorite things about using a laptop to work on my various blogs.
Physical Keyboard
You can get a lot of blogging-related work done on a smartphone or tablet. However, it’s nice to have a physical keyboard, especially when I’m typing out a long blog post.
I’m writing this very post using my MacBook Pro while sitting at my desk. The keyboard makes it super easy to type and to add hyper links to other web pages.
Plus, laptops come standard with a physical keyboard. If you’re looking to write more efficiently, I’d say you need a laptop so that you don’t have to rely on a touchscreen.
Multitasking
In the past few years, tablets have gotten better at multitasking. But I still haven’t played around with them enough to make the most of those features.
If you’re like me, you may also find it a lot easier to switch between tabs and windows on a laptop or even a desktop. And sure, a lot of blogging just involves writing.
However, I sometimes like to add images, such as screenshots or photos, especially when I’m writing reviews or product roundups. If you use a laptop, adding media, at least for me, is a lot easier.
More Powerful
Another reason why you may need a laptop is that they tend to be more powerful than even the best tablets. Some of the top tablets, like an iPad Pro, can do a lot, which is great.
But they use different operating systems and have different maximum amounts of RAM and other specs. If you want to do more than just write, such as edit video, you need a powerful computer.
Slightly Cheaper
If you’re comparing a laptop and tablet with the most similar specs, such as the iPad and MacBook, the laptop may come out to be a bit cheaper. Sure, the base price is about the same, but that doesn’t account for accessories.
Adding an external keyboard can cost a few hundred dollars, especially if you go with one from Apple. Then, there’s the cost of a stylus if you want to be able to draw or write things by hand.
A laptop comes with everything you need to make the most of it. So you could save a bit of money while getting all of the tech you need to run your blog.
Portable
A lot of the ways in which a laptop is better are in comparison to tablets and phones. However, comparing a laptop to a desktop is also worth your time.
If you currently use a desktop, you may get tired of working in the same place. I almost always work from home, but sometimes I work from my desk, and other times, I’ll work from the couch.
You can’t do that if you have a desktop. So if you like flexibility or want to travel and work on your blog, you need a laptop.
Why You Don’t Need a Laptop as a Blogger
As helpful as having a laptop as a blogger can be, I don’t want to say you always need one. Starting a blog can help you grow an online business, and it’s a lot easier than some other ventures.
Here are a few reasons why you may not need a laptop, at least when you first start your blog.
Mobile Apps
If you use WordPress with a host like SiteGround, you can do a lot with the WordPress mobile app. I mostly use it to check my stats and to grab the link to my latest blog post to share on social media.
However, you can even write and publish or schedule blog posts in the app. So if you don’t have access to a laptop or desktop, it could be a good alternative to help you create more content.
There are also apps for other blogging or business tools, such as Trello, Canva, and Google Docs. If you want to use a lot of different programs to run your blog, see if they have apps that you can access on your phone or tablet.
Tablet Keyboards
Maybe you don’t have a laptop, but you already own a tablet, like an iPad. You can buy a separate keyboard that will work with your tablet, such as through Bluetooth.
Apple has also recently started making Magic Keyboards that work specifically with their line of iPads. They don’t use Bluetooth, so you could save battery if you don’t already need to turn on the connection.
Of course, the nice thing about tablet keyboards is you can add and remove them as necessary. So if you just want one type of mobile computer, a tablet could be the way to go so that you won’t need a laptop.
You Have a Desktop
If you have a desktop, you can do a lot of the same tasks on it that you’d do on a laptop. Sure, you can only use the desktop in one place, like at your desk.
However, you have an even larger screen than a laptop does. You’ll also have access to a keyboard and even a mouse, which can help if you do a lot of photo or video editing for your blog.
If you already own and use a desktop, there’s really no reason to go out and buy a laptop just for blogging.
Final Thoughts
In some ways, you need a laptop to start and run a blog. However, if you can’t afford one right now, you can make it work with the tech you currently have.
And if you’re ready to start a blog, check out SiteGround hosting. That way, you can use WordPress as the content management system, which makes it super easy to run your blog.
