[real-eyes] Fw: Interesting Article on Future of Tablet Computing
- From: "Reginald George" <sgeorge@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <real-eyes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 09:39:03 -0600
Well, he convinced me this is the future. This is from a newsletter I get.
Good thing there are accessible touch interfaces now. Problem is when
buttons move around at will in different programs it seems like it will be
very difficult to function as quickly as a sighted person in navigating this
type of environment. That is unlesss there are easy ways to customize the
interfaces so that we can set up controls where we can find them with some
type of style template.
Why You'll Use a Tablet. Yes YOU!
February 3, 2010
By Mike Elgan
I know, I know. You've checked out the Apple iPad, and you're not impressed.
You think it's a limited, pointless, overpriced unpocketable iPod for
gullible trend whores drunk on Cupertino Kool-Aid.
You despise its closed, proprietary platform, lack of built-in keyboard,
missing camera, unremovable battery, no Flash support and monthly fee for
AT&T 3G access.
Besides, the sudden tablet craze is just an overhyped fad, right?
It's easy to predict that tablets will be huge sellers. After all, even
skeptics can believe that other people will get caught up in a
marketing-driven trend. But I'm going to make an even bolder prediction. I'm
going to predict that you, personally, will be using a tablet within 18
months.
That's bold because if you're reading this Web site, you're probably far
more technical and sophisticated than the average user. And you're probably
a professional evaluator of computer equipment. Chances are, you're
skeptical about hyped new fads, and have far better memory about the Next
Big Things that never happened.
But I think that if you're anti-tablet now, you'll change your tune once you
see what's really on offer. Here are my 10 reasons why I believe that you'll
be using a tablet within 18 months:
1. Tablets will become hobbyist dream gadgets.
Love to tinker? Tablets will be ideal for that. The home automation crowd
will go nuts with these things. And the tablet craze will be accompanied by
powerful, simplified development tools. People will build tablet cradles
into their car dashboards, and will use tablets for GPS map display, audio
control, engine diagnostics and more.
Tablets will serve as robot controllers, model airplane controllers and will
function as the brains and interface for homemade smart appliances and
devices. Why wouldn't you want to build your own Microsoft Surface-like
smart coffee table?
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2. They will be optimized for specific tasks.
If you do those tasks, you'll want the optimized tablet. For example,
aviation companies will use the new touch tablets for their "electronic
flight bag" devices, because they can hold all the documentation, charts,
tools and so on that pilots need, both private and professional.
Education? Forget about it. Touch tablets are tailor made for K-12, as well
as university education. Tablets with cameras will be useful as magnifiers,
security-cam, nanny-cam and crib-cam monitors. Solutions providers will take
the open systems and build proprietary, optimized applications that take
advantage of the touch interfaces.
3. You will be compelled by apps we can't now predict.
When personal computers first arrived, nobody thought we'd use them to do
social networking. When graphical user interfaces first took over, few
predicted we'd use them heavily for surfing a very graphical Web (since the
Web didn't even exist then). When cell phones started becoming popular, we
never imagined people would use them for capturing data with applications
like Evernote.
The same thing will happen with tablets. Nobody knows what the "killer apps"
will be. It's very likely that something will be invented, designed or
developed that will thrill you, and make you change your mind.
4. Tablets will have uses that don't involve replacing something you're
already doing.
Tablets are viewed now as hobbled netbooks or giant cell phones. In fact,
they'll be used for totally unpredictable purposes that currently nobody now
does with computers. For example, imagine if a tablet computer could
function as a remote control. And image it had "presets" on it for, say, 12
of your favorite channels. Now imagine that instead of buttons with numbers
on them, 12 "buttons" show live video of what was currently playing on each
of those channels.
5. Tablets will be open.
Touch tablets will come out optimized for operating systems ranging from
closed (iPhone OS) to open (Linux) and everything in between. There will be
a gazillion Android tablets. We'll see Windows and Windows Mobile tablets,
and more. Take your pick.
6. Your company may buy one for you.
While you're busy not buying a tablet for your home, your company will
become increasingly likely to purchase them for your use at work. I believe
companies like HP, IBM and others, as well as VARs, will add Linux- and
Windows-based touch tablets to their lineups of IT equipment, and as part of
larger solutions packages. They reason is...
7. Tablets will become ideal for IT pros.
Data center staff use clipboards and documentation. Help desk staff need
remote desktop capability and remote access to network tools. IT executives
attend meeting after meeting. Everybody uses laptops.
Tablets will do all this in a single package. Management tools will be
optimized for touch user interfaces. And anyone who wants to use a physical
keyboard and/or a mouse will be able to do so with the tablets. If you work
anywhere in IT, you will be surrounded by tablet users.
8. Tablets will be better netbooks than netbooks.
Tablets will soon be able to do 90% of what netbooks can do, but netbooks
will be able to do only 50% of what tablets can do. I'm making these numbers
up, but my point is that for most users, tablets will be able to replace
netbooks, but netbooks won't be able to replace tablets.
A universe of special purpose tablet apps will be created, while very few
netbook-specific apps have been or will ever be built. A rational buying
decision means that if you have to pick between buying a tablet or buying a
netbook, you'll buy the tablet.
9. Tablets will get huge.
Ten inches today, 13, 15, 21, 27 and more inches tomorrow. They'll be HD TVs
you can bring anywhere. You'll use them for board games, arcade games,
first-person shooter games.
10. Tablets will be cheap!
It's a foregone conclusion that the tablets of tomorrow will be cheaper than
the netbooks of today. It's the Law! (Moore's Law, to be specific.) You'd
have to be pretty aggressively anti-tablet to not pay $200 for a gadget that
will do so much.
Skepticism is great. You have good reasons for dissing the Apple iPad. But
the future is unpredictable, and the touch tablet concept is going to prove
absolutely compelling. That's why I believe you'll be using one within 18
months.
Who knows? Maybe you'll even use an iPad.
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