Dilbert is a genius. I have unsubscibed from the daily cartoon strip I used to get in my email just as result of trying to get less emails in my inbox. I wonder what Dilbert is saying about the garget fever these days.
I would say if people are trying to replace a laptop with a tablet they are going wrong. Of course they are different stories for different needs. Some don't really need one but like the coolness of taking the new toy out in their favorite café or displaying it in the next seminar they attend, -especially is the seminar is tablet, smartphone or app development related. This is just an observation of the human nature and not intended to be criticism.
Precisely, HC. I was referring to the Palm Pilot earlier when saying tablets and eReaders are not a new thing. I still have a Palm Pilot and its extended keyboard, Quite cool both fit nicely in a small case. Those were the days when I loved to have the latest cool gadget available. I guess I have become more practical and if I don't really find a practical use that I really, really need there is, again, no point in collecting tech-toys.
You are right. For medical staff and doctors tablets are very useful. (the iPad fits in the white coat pocket) Both healthcare and education are finding a good and practical use for some of the latest gargets.
Bolaji, have you seen thiis Motorola Xoom vs. iPad 2? The speech to text app is one of the most useful ones. I am just guessing what would be your primary use for the tablet. The Xoom looks like a good choice, especially when it covers your needs. Let's see what you say when you put your hands on the Playbook.
yes you are correct much of it is about people trying to look cool by becoming 'gadgetized'
There is even a Dilbert cartoon from nearly 15 years ago ,long before the current wave of gadgets became popular, and I still remember having to carry 3 different pagers plus a mobile phone that induced weightlifting injuries whenever you used it for more than a couple of minutes.
Tablets are not really in the same area as a portable computer, slower processors, less pulling power from the GPU (graphics chip), significantly less memory and fixed software.
But those very design tradeoffs make such devices highly effective for certain markets such as medical support staff, doctors, Inventory chain management and even on site Quality audits these are the sorts of areas where you do not need the weight/size and processing power typically associated with a normal Laptop.
I just wish that the current crop of 'throw away' tablets had been available 15 years ago, when I had a specific need for a portable device that could have be issued to Quality assurance engineers, instead I had to fill the niche with palm pilots linked back to an Oracle database.
JLS, of course netbooks and tablets are not going to be a choice if there is no need for one. I am pretty happy with my Netbook, especially with the portability. The size and weight are perfect for always carrying it with me. I would get a tablet if I can improve portability even more and if it's faster than the Netbook.
Some gadgets can be cool but if they are not functional there is little point to them.
Let's not forget that tablets and eReaders are not new invensions either. They both have existed for years in simplified and smallers forms.
Susan, My preferred choice would be the Motorola Xoom. I don't want to be tethered to the Apple ((iPad) mothership with all the conditions of membership etc. I like what I've read about the Motorola Xoom and think it can suffice for my needs. But I haven't laid hands on the Playbook yet so I am quite interested in seeing what it offers.
Bolaji, Thanks. :) The portability is probably one of the biggest advantages of the tablet, although the netbook is the same and has a keyboard, that is what some people want.
You say your company supports the Blackberry and this is the reason why you would be considering the Blackberry Playbook, but what do you prefer? What would you be considering if it were only your decision with no company support?
Tablet computer is just a device enjoying itself in the world markets at present. It has come and forever it will be part of us. Laptops market sales may not be well publicised as Tablets but still some users feel more comfortable with it.
We leave in a world of plethora idea where innovations jet out nearly everyday. Some users see Tablet as a mere child game device; that reminds me of a friend who recently bought ipad for his child, said " just purchased this for him to do game playing".
We shall see if the likes of Motorola, HP and Blackberry tablets enter markets. I have 2 laptops ( Windows & Linux) and a desktop. But i intend to buy tablet in the future not decided which i will eventually pick up in the market though. Still waiting for others...
When they make a tablet with a real keyboard and a hard cover to protect it and you don't have to hold it to be able to see it, maybe I'll get one. Oh, wait! They already have that, it's called a laptop!
I really prefer the form factor of laptops or netbooks, but even a netbook keyboard is a little too small. I have big sausage-fingers and not so great close-up vision, so I prefer the bigger keyboards and displays of laptops. Tablets are fine toys, as someone pointed out, but I need somethign a little more functional. A tablet keyboard cannot be taken seriously and is only one step better that what is on an iPhone, which I cannot use at all. The Apple laptops are more my choice.
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
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Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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