Are Tablet Computers Doomed To Fail?
- 6
- Add a Comment
Over at CNet they have posted an article about tablet computers and why consumers may not buy the device. As we have been reading during the past few months, the founder of TechCrunch is in the process of introducing what is called a Crunchpad, and also that Apple may be also introducing a tablet computer. What is interesting is that we currently have smart phones, netbooks, and laptops which seem to have filled the market with choices. So the question now becomes is there really a need for tablet computers?
According to the article it states that:
But what you can do with a screen-only computer gets really limited when you expand the device beyond pocket size. There are two big limitations. First, you need a keyboard for doing real work. At least most people do. Perhaps a generation of kids will grow up that are as speedy on a virtual keyboard as they are on a real one, but until then anyone who does more than write quick e-mails and Twitter messages on a computer will want to take a keyboard with them. And typing on the screen, even if you can do it, is an ergo disaster. Either you have to keep your hands up in the air (if the computer is mounted vertically in front of you) or you have to hunch over your screen to see it.
[This is a prototype model only]
While a tablet may be great for browsing the Web and viewing media, it’s too big to replace a phone and too limited to carry around as a work computer. People will need their keyboarded Netbooks and notebooks for real work. Tablets, like other tweener devices, ultramobile PCs and Netbooks, are accessories to real computers. You can’t do enough on them to justify the price, although they’re sure nice to have if you have extra money for a gizmo that sits between your big computer and your phone, both in size and function.
This is an interesting take on the new device, since I have to agree with the writer. It does seem that we currently have enough devices on the market to fill most consumer needs. I am prejudiced because I personally do not like devices that I feel are nothing more than a finger print magnet. But that is just me.
What about you? If and when a tablet computer becomes available, will you buy one? If so, why?
Comments as always are welcome.
6 Comments
Jonathan Cohen
August 5th, 2009
at 9:26am
I happily used a TC1000 convertible slate and a Thinkpad X41 tablet until they died on me.
Being able to mark up PDFs using ink, play games like Scrabble with a stylus, and read ebooks in portrait mode were great uses for the tablet. And there was always the keyboard when I had to do more intensive data entry.
XP Tablet Edition has great handwriting recognition, and I understand that Windows 7’s HWR is even better. The only thing I missed was touch-friendliness, but more and more PC tablets will support dual digitizers - active (pen) and passive/capacitive (finger).
What’s missing is more support for ink in applications like IM, blogging, and the like.
LIVEdigitally » Blog Archive » Are You a Jerk With a Keyboard?
August 5th, 2009
at 11:04am
[...] in contrast to the hype and attention the potential of tablets (and I’m definitely not the only one who feels the category has a terrible history and numerous challenges in reaching a [...]
tubejay
August 5th, 2009
at 4:12pm
more reasonable to say that tablets are not useful enough for most people.
i would say that most of the stuff they sell at an art supply store could be bought cheaper and less specialized elsewhere for my purposes. if artists do not find tablet pc’s useful enough to replace their netbooks with, then they probably are useless. otherwise, they are probably worth selling to artists.
Are Tablet Computers Doomed To Fail? - Apple Blog
August 6th, 2009
at 4:41am
[...] This article is featured on the custom Apple Blog at Auto-Blogs.us. [...]
Ryan Farmer
August 6th, 2009
at 8:58am
Microsoft already tried the Tablet PC and failed.
I don’t think that mobile PCs have failed just because Microsoft or Apple haven’t figured out how to milk it, because the truth is that they really can’t milk it.
What I mean to say is that Windows and OS X really only run well on one platform that isn’t very efficient, they were both designed with monstrous CPU and RAM hogging applications in mind, and a lot of the rationale for buying them was because you needed them for some high performance application.
You aren’t going to be running Crysis or AutoCAD on a netbook or a tablet PC. People don’t want “gas guzzling” hardware and expensive and inefficient operating systems to do web tasks.
I think the future of the mobile PC is with ARM-based CPUs and some kind of middleware, probably Linux-based, that just so happens to let you get everyday stuff done.
Windows CE gets named a lot, but it’s not compatible with Windows, and even if it was, those apps would still have to be ported to ARM, and Microsoft can’t do that. Linux has an entire suite of software that can follow it wherever it goes.
Justin
August 7th, 2009
at 9:07pm
I for one absolutely friggin hate touch screens. If anything makes computing harder, it would be touch screens. Ever try using the Dell all in one desktop, defeats needing a keyboard and mouse my @$$. First you open firefox but wait you wnat to close that to do something else but wait your size 3 finger is too big to hit the X in the corner of the window so naturally you hit ctrl+W, oh wait you don’t have a keyboard. When are these morons going to understand that you need to base an OS around a touch screen not base a touch screen around an OS. As for the netbook, I have to politely disagree, what other computer is completely comfortable to take to the bathroom to look at porn? Non, I am sorry but seriously as much as we sugar coat it you end up watching it at some point and why do it on a 9 pound computer that kills sperm.