Introduction
Arguably, the tablet personal computer emerged from the concept of laptop PC but evolved to incorporate a touch screen controlled by a stylus light/digital pen and hand calibration for finger sensitivity, thus making the mouse and keyboard feature of a laptop obsolete.
The main reason why people prefer the tablet PCs is the ease of mobility and operability compared to the laptops and the desktops. The tablet PCs are in various shapes styles an types but the most common types are convertible tablets, slate PCs, booklet tablet PCs and the hybrid tablet PCs.
Types of Tablet PCs
The stale tablet PCs get its name and resemblance from the slate writing pads, which do not have any keyboard attachment or features. The data input occurs through hand writing recognition using the touch-pad pen/stylus or the finger touch. These tablet PCs are also user friendly and allow connection of various external peripherals such as keyboards in case the user needs them. The external devises use the latest wireless or USB connection features.
Today, firms or industries such as the education sectors, health-care industries or manufacturers, who depend on mobility and constant communication with employees or clients, utilize the tablet PCs technology for full-time internet connections. The slate tablets are also more resistant to harsh climatic conditions such as high humidity, dust, heat and accidental impacts such as dropping (Jacko, 34).
On the other hand, compatible tablet PCs have a similar appearance to the laptops with touch mouse pads and keyboarding features but have incorporated the option of 180o screen rotation. These PCs forms the bridge between the laptops and full tablet PCs since they offer both the keyboard usage options and the digital pen input options.
In contrast, the booklet tablet PCs get their “book” name from the reasoning that pages of a book are written on both sides and this PCs have dual screen on either of their sides. They can therefore be opened like a book. They allow the touch detection mechanism as well as the digital-pen usage. The PCs are often preferred due to their support of internet TV, internet browsing, and electronic interpretations (Jacko, 34).
Lastly, the Hybrid tablet PCs has high technological functions that both the slate tablet and convertible PCs have. It is referred to as the ‘Hybrid’ due to the incorporation of various features of earlier designs. The convertible features are evident when a keyboard is incorporated, while it acts as a slate tablet PC when the keyboarding features are removed (Jacko, 34).
Current and promising Future types of Tablet PCs
Among the tablet personal computers was the iPad launched in mid 2010. Various launches competed with the iPad and there was need to have a clear definition or identity of simple tablet computer. A tablet computer either has a touch screen feature or permits use of a virtual keyboard or writing recognition.
The term ‘Virtual computer’ first emerged from Microsoft and it is arguable that the first operating system incorporated on tablet PCs was from Microsoft. Today the PCs use various operating systems from different companies. The e-readers have fewer functions compared to those of a tablet PC, thus causing a bump up over their categorization as tablet PCs. Tablet PCs such as iPads have the e-reader features, therefore an iPad is an e-reader (Gookin, 20).
The low-powered iPads lack various common feature found in normal laptops and desktops especially some publication demanding features. They are thus easy to carry and handle but limit usage and thus cannot complete the tasks of a laptop or desktop effectively. The origin of tablet computers emerged due to the need for full-time access to various features.
The need included communication via e-mail, browsing, downloading, uploading, or data storage. Today there is a wide range of the tablet computers with different functions for different needs. According to Gookin (20), rating pricing as well as comparisons between tablet PCs depends on analysis of size (for portability), convenience, features and power.
Popularity of Tablet PCs
The tablet PCs are more popular among students and personnel in commerce industries due to the evident portability advantages over other earlier types of PCs. The tablet PCs are slightly bigger than the smart phones but slightly smaller than notebooks. The reduction of microprocessor size and establishment of better battery life span are the two main properties that determine improvement of a tablet PC.
Current tablet PCs have longer battery life, support handwriting features, wireless technology such as server access, enlarged memory and better screen resolution. The aim of future tablet producers such as HP Company is to establish a multi-tasking gadget that is able to support wider range of features or options for expanding usage.
In line with Books Llc (91), HP established a tablet PC to counter the high costs of iPad tablet PCs. The company today has one of the global best-selling tablets PC with equally favourable features such as flash players, a high-resolution touch screen, effective hard drive space, built-in stereo audio system, effective RAM, microphones and support of external memory such as support of Micro-SD or USB connectors for drives.
There is a clear indication that the tablet PCs are becoming better day-by-day because of their support of normal feature found in normal PCs such as laptops or desktops. A good example is the touchpad by HP that incorporates a built-in WI-FI feature to support faster access of internet files and compatible play-in features that support various video and audio files.
The tablet PCs are also competing for the ability to offer features that will win client’s confidence such as pleasurable and easy to use touch screens. The assured convenience is a sure marketing strategy since it stimulates acquisition and usage.
For instance, would a client prefer a tablet PC that has a hand touch screen only or one with both the touch application and an allowance for digital stylus pen? Most tablets have slower hand writing speed than the typing speed and thus future PCs would be more appropriate if they allow additional external keyboards and mouse connections to facilitate user needs.
Future Predictions for Tablet PCs
The future of tablet PCs depends on ability to produce gadgets with more inbuilt features, more storage space and better portability. This will require a state of the art technology that will enhance ease of usage to combat existing computability and complexity involved in usage.
Probably the technological changes of chips will see the emergence of paper-size or virtual gadgets. We are getting to a stage where users will not need to worry about the struggles of keypad entry of data. The monitors will have higher resolutions that allow easier and faster digital manipulations. The easiness of usage and user-friendliness of the features will also be main determinants of sale and advancement of tablet PCs.
The battery life is another feature that will determine the generational differences of tablet PCs. The future gadgets will have longer spans and therefore users will have little to worry about the battery life during usage. The future technology will also allow adjustments to cater for customized handwritings. The users will be in a position to have input in form of personal handwritten types, as an alternative to the user defined keyboarding input requirements.
The time required to put on the gadgets will also decrease meaning that the delay time will be reduced. The future tablet PCs will be paper-size gargets an indication of reduced overall weight for better portability. Like the smart phones majority of the current tablet PCs support different screen orientations, for instance the ability to adjust the orientation automatically between portrait to landscape setting and vice-versa for easier handling and comfortable operability.
Sales Charts of Tablets PCs
The year 2010 was non-contentious year for iPad from Apple since the company had a clear-cut sales record of approximately 3.3 million units within three months of its release, compared to other competing tablet PCs. It is still the reading seller with a rate of approximately 4.5 million units sold every quarter.
HP is also set to release its three tablet PCs and Motorola XOOM is causing blizzard and heated comparison debates. Other companies include LG and Samsung who are promising to avail irresistible offers on future Tablet PCs (Vermaat, 226).
The Motorola Xoom Vs iPad
Apple Company introduced its iPad 2 tablet personal computer in 2nd March 2010 in a launch that appeared like a war against Motorola XOOM, which had hit the market slightly earlier in later February. The iPad 2 tablet PC was launched in March 11 and Apple was therefore categorical to indicate their eagerness to have the best Tablet PC in the market (Vermaat, 226).
The users are today seeing various marketing adverts from both companies and it is a clear indication that future gadgets will depend on what extra feature they offer their clients. Is the extra feature important or just a marketing gimmick?
There are some critical features a user may consider when comparing what is on offer today and what will be in future. First are the specifications of the hardware. The hardware mainly concerns the physical representation of the PC. Secondly, the user must determine the usability in terms of what the new gadget offers, mainly the applications’ and software offers for the user. Marketers are keen to interpret what users want on their future tablet PCs and how they interpret the current hardware as well as software applications.
According to Vermaat (226), the differences of the operating systems are also properties that future developments will have to consider. Currently, iPad uses the Apple’s Operating System (iSO) as used in various smart iPhones. On the other hand, the most recent Motorola XOOM a competitor of iPad uses the Android 3.0 software also referred to as the ‘Honeycomb’, which is customized for the tablet versions of PCs and other iphones.
The Android 3.0 software is arguably more complex and rigid for PCs since there is need for users to have flexibility during applications and therefore Apple’s iPad is more applauded due to simplicity tricky and instinctive operation system software, over Motorola’s XOOM. This means that software sells hardware and future manufacturers will need to consider the type of software to implement.
Considering the current XOOM and iPad as examples of the latest tablet PCs, one would easily settle for the Motorola XOOM due to its specifications such as higher screen resolutions, better and wider screen displays as opposed to the iPad’s displays. IPad screen views have black bars at the top and bottom of the screen during wide-screen viewing. The future tablet PCs will need to increase the processor speed from the current dual core to core-two dual processors, like the current desktops and laptops.
The Motorola XOOM tablet has various extra features such as the inbuilt stereo system, HDMI high definition video output without requirement for extra connections and provision for USB port connections. The cameras of the Motorola XOOM are also of higher resolution count compared to those of iPad 2. These features make the Motorola more superior and a possible future preference compared to other similar tablets from potential competitors.
The future Tablet PCs must be able to offer 4G inbuilt cards and options of upgrading the software to latest technologies. The compatibility with other common software such as printer software is equally essential. Although the appearance of iPad is more appealing such as better and thinner look compared to the potential competitors such as Motorola, the application features are thinner in terms of applications, than those in competitor’s products are.
The trade name is a clear marketing feature for the Tablet PC products and Apple has better advantage over competitors due to well established trademark in the PC industry; nevertheless, the offers the definitely below future expectations.
Having application is important but having support of the developers is an even greater future advantage. The iPad has been in market for over a year and the developers have had a chance to incorporate various applications, majority of which are in use on various iPhones. Competitors of iPads such as the Motorola XOOM and HP touchpad are at the verge of forming a strong establishment in the industry.
Although Apple’s selection of software for its Tablet PCs dwarfs the competitor’s efforts to incorporate similar or better software, Apple has not been able to form a better future establishment due to failure to incorporate vital software like the flash. XOOM uses flash while iPad does not.
Considering the current multimedia requirements, majority of the web features will need to run on flash applications. Future user-requirement will make Tablets with features such as those of an XOOM more superior than the competitors will. Long-term considerations therefore indicate that expandability will overrule current simplicity functions.
The XOOM definitely have better long-term offers compared to iPad for instance offer of higher specifications like the 4G technology and flash features. The future demands will strongly be bases on the ability to incorporate a wider variety of software (O’Reilly, 29). This means that considering the above status, XOOM is a more preferable future Tablet PC.
Current iPad tablet PCs lack features to enable future upgrade options such as change of 3G to 4G technology or failure to incorporate the USB connectors for easier compatibility of various devises such as external hard drives/storage devices. The need to cater for future expansion is important because such allowances cater for the future other than the present needs.
XOOM users are currently surfing the web at 4G speeds while the iPad 2 users will have to wait for the establishment of an iPad 3 that will offer better surfing speeds and probably expansion abilities to cater for extra external storage. A good technological device for the future incorporates some of the future requirements other than forcing users into new purchases whenever they require an upgrade.
The Tablet PCs are meant for gaming, audio and visual plays. Any of the future devices should therefore incorporate the stereo options even on external speakers. The current market price of 32 GB 4G XOOM is $71 higher than the same 32 GB 3G Ipad 2.
This means that it is wiser to purchase an XOOM due to the extra applications and features now, than wait to by another iPad 3 that will run at 4G speed in future at approximately $500. The appearance might be stylish and the company name might be big due to earlier establishments in the industries or the reputable history, but this may be deceiving for future prospectors.
HP multi-touch Tablet PC
The new-looking HP multi-touch Tablet PC that will be launched soon has features meant for the near future. The support of multiple touch signals ability to accelerate the visual displays through the use of an accelerometer, detection of user position to adjust its orientation to automatically suite usage and the use of the attest Microsoft operating system; window 7, makes the devise more superior over potential competitors (McNamara, 19).
Other current establishments are the incorporation of notebooks and tablet PCs features, such as the hybrid Ideapad U1 that has a detachable touch screen acting like a tablet on its own. The notebook also runs on a core-2-duo processor based on a storage space of 128 GB and provides keyboard and mouse features as well. The standalone Tablet PC however runs on Linux platform powers by an inbuilt 16 GB memory and 1GHZ processor. The base of the tablet also functions as a 3G wireless hub to ensure constant internet connection.
Most of these future smart personal computers will be able to support multi-tasking such as audio playback as well as net surfing. Although these devices are presenting a spackle in the technology industries, most users are still wondering when they will get a device that incorporates all the required needs. The devices offer fairly new and unique features different from each other due to need for competitions, but there is lack of a tablet PC that will offer all these features without fluctuations.
There is a misunderstanding over preferences and standard requirements. People will prefer to have full and speedy internet connections wherever whenever, but they are forgetting that once in a while they also need, quality entertainment, editing, typing, formatting and printing a letter or other formal documents. Although the tablet PCs are called computers, none of the current offers has all this features. Future requirement will need a tablet PC that offers all requirements for less.
Conclusion
Today Tablet PCs, the PDAs, smart phones and notebooks/palmtops are constantly replacing the laptops. This evolution is due to people’s demands for something more portable.
Portability means thin, stylish, caters for touch facilities and is friendly especially for the social sites users who need to be fulltime browsers, regardless of place and time constrains. Future demands are however very specific. There is need for better portability than what laptops offer, better and dominant features than what notebooks offer and stronger user-comfort than what smart phones offer. The tablets PCs are having all this demands such as e-reader requirements and more versatile and user-friendly features.
The success of well-recognized brands like iPad 2 prompts immediate pessimism over sales of tablet PCs. The gadgets are mainly meant for entertainment since users are not ready or used to pointing at the screen all day long. It s also not possible to hold a chat while still enjoy a movie, thus some of the reasons that tablet PCs will not completely replace the notebooks and laptops.
Most users are also adapted to the mouse and keyboarding techniques. Although tablets may have stylish designs and designer looks, lack of ability to perform might be some of the reasons why the sales of iPads are far worse than Iphones. The performance of iPad in the market therefore depends on the cost and its stylish designs. The future economic performance of the tablet PCs will depend on changes that manufacturers will implement. These are technological developments, whose life span can only be judged by time.
Works Cited
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Gookin, Dan. Laptops for Dummies. Indiana, IN: Wiley Publishing, Inc. 2010. Press.
O’Reilly, Tim. Web 2.0: A Strategy Guide. California, CA: O’Reilly media Inc. 2008. Press.
Jacko, Julie. Human-Computer Interaction. Interacting in Various Applications Domains. Germany: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. 2009. Press.
McNamara, Joel. Netbooks for Dummies. Indiana, IN: Wiley Publishing, Inc. 2009. Press.
Vermaat, Misty. E. Discovering Computers 2011-Introductory: Living in a Digital World. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2010. Press.