Compare total cost of a tablet versus a laptop.
A tablet only looks cheaper until the keyboard, stylus and case are added — those accessories are what make it a laptop substitute rather than a media device. Comparing the fully equipped tablet against the laptop, and then dividing both by expected years of use, shows how small the annual gap usually is and where a genuine saving still exists.
Fully equipped cost
Tablet total = tablet price + accessories; cost per year = total / years of use; saving = laptop price - tablet total
For browsing, media, notes and light documents, generally yes. Heavy multitasking, development work and desktop software remain laptop territory.
Because devices with different lifespans are not comparable on price alone. Tablets often stay usable longer for light tasks, which improves their per-year figure.
First-party keyboards and styluses frequently add a third of the tablet's price, which is often enough to close the gap with a laptop entirely.