I know a tablet/ipad have a touch screen, but how else are they different from a laptop?

A tablet will usually have up to a 1GHz processor though one of latest laptops will come with a 2 or 3GHz processor.

Most tablets will be limited to what software you can load on them. The iPad can't load software like internet explorer though there are some good alternatives available in the app store.

Most laptops are faster than tablets though tablets are more portable, lighter and thinner. Laptops will usually have a bigger screen which is better for viewing web pages. My personal opinion? Well I would go for a laptop mainly for the speed and screen size though if i wanted somthing portable I would defently go for a tablet (an iPad).

Hope this helps!

Laptops;

Disk Drive/Reads Disks

Tablet/iPad;

Insert Sim Into It To Use As A Mobile Phone

Expensive Laptops Are Considered To Run Quick But So Do Tablets/iPads

Tablets/iPads Run Apps But Laptops Run Programs e.g. Skype-Can Be Downloaded As An App

You can't compare them at all. They're different types of devices. but...

Laptops will always be faster than tablets due to the lack of fans in tablets, tablets would overheat if they had real processors in them. (Non-underclocked ARMs, etc).

Tablets run small applications (Sorry, I hate the word "app"....it's so bad). That means no heavy video editing or game playing on tablets.

You should know that, unless you're just checking email/facebook, talking on some messenger, or watching videos on the go, a tablet will never be a replacement for a PC of any type.