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Invasion of the Tablets
The invasion has begun
It has been a little over a year since the release of the first IPad and since then, companies have been pumping out tablets to try and get a chunk of the market. Like the smart phone, tablet computers seem to be the hot new thing that will invade our market in the coming year with multiple companies seemingly pumping out a new tablet every couple of months. The first year seemed to be a glimpse of what was coming, each faction studying the enemy and building off of that. Most tablets seemed to feel like experiments and didn't really hold much ground. This year it seems the companies have figured out what they are doing, and now will start pumping out products that will make everyone nerd out. The question is, is this something that we should all expect to own, such as a TV, cell phone, PC, etc? I think it is, and here is how and why you should get ready.
Nice comparison chart
Androids Honeycomb Demo
The New IPAD
THE TABLETS ARE COMING, THE TABLETS ARE COMING!!
You are probably reading this on a PC, or a laptop and you seem fine with that I would assume since you are still doing it. How would you feel pulling the screen off and holding it like a book or a newspaper and reading it like that. It feels completely natural since when we read, most people would rather be lounging in a chair, bed, couch, or whatever way makes you happy but very few of us prefer to stare at a screen while sitting upright like you do at the office (while you should be working). This is why I feel tablets are the natural evolution of our computer needs, they have the ability to naturally fill the technology voids and be there practicly in our lives.
If you have ever picked up a tablet whether it be, the IPad, Xoom, Galaxy Tab, Nook, or one of the other many tablets that have been produced as of late one thing you may notice is you immediate feeling of that you are holding something new, amazing, and its almost like you have a piece of alien technology in your hands. The second thing you may notice is how easy you are able to pick it up and use it without having too much trouble. If you give a person a mouse and keyboard its not really something you can just pick up and use if you never have. Give someone a tablet and tell them to use it, they generally will get their pointer finger and start doing things. When we are kids we like to finger paint because its easy, you stick your finger in blue, you paint a sky. Give an adult a tablet and they can easy swipe through screens, push on screen buttons, type, and really just find a way to integrate themselves into the device with very little problems. The hardest part is when you start thinking too much that something isn't possible, thats when people get in trouble. Being that it is a natural feeling device, when you start over thinking it, it starts to get too complicated. The natural fluid movements of a tablet is one way those little guys will end up in your backpack or I'm sure they will make some sort of carrying thing special for it that everyone will make redonkulous versions of.
Not only are tablets totally natural feeling personally, they have a practical place in our lives as well. I have a dream.... that one day, all men and women will have personal tablets to take to grocery stores to help with their shopping. I imagine one day going to the store, having my shopping list on screen, then my tablet knowing I am in Vons and pulling up aisle numbers for each item on my shopping list. As I go through my list and pick out my items, I may not be too sure on the price, deals, or what I am going to make. I can then click on my food item and it will bring up recipes, comparable prices, coupons, reviews, or any other possible great ideas people could want or need. All while doing this your husband, wife, friend, or whoever has been talking to you about dinner plans, they would then be able to tell you that they just remembered they need something and they can send you a item which then your tablet can tell you where it is. After that, you head to check out and your tablet is like.... ZOMG YOU FORGOT THE MILK. You head to check out, your NFC chip in your tab not only pays the bill but also submits all your coupons.
Ok, so going to the grocery store isn't the only way your tablet can be useful. Dr.s right now use tablets as medical charts to see what is going on with their patients, they can bring up monitors, pictures, videos, and a ton of other useful information for the patient. It can be a great visual tool for helping customers, selling products, giving a simple way for customers to be hands on with your business, and allow to reach out to people when you can't be inside. Here are a few neat ways people are using the IPad. I think it is really cool the way people are finding ways to make life easier for people and integrate technology usefully into our lives.
What do you think?
Do you feel the need to get a tablet this year?
Not convinced yet?
Everyone likes a good toy, we spend money on new TVs, Laptops, PCs, gaming consoles, music equipment, and a bunch of other toys that make us jolly. With all the cool apps coming out for tablets, I think they have the ability to really be a device everyone will have. Apps for the past couple of years have turned small software companies into huge software companies, basement developers into million dollar developers. It is a huge market that is only getting better with innovative apps to keep us going. Apps on your phone are great, apps on a tablet are even better, they are bigger, faster, and a lot of time aren't available on phones because they are too small. Tablets can be movie watchers, book readers, gaming consoles, music mixers, recipe books, drawing pads, Netflix while sitting on the toilet? Nuff said
So let's wrap it up, don't wanna have a baby, hahahhahahahah meeeee so funny,. Anyways, tablets are invading this year hardcore. I don't expect everyone to have their own tablet this year but I expect to see more and more of them out there, and more businesses will integrate them into how they interact with customers and get stuff done. Tablets are a more fluid way of using a mobile device. Smart phones are great but their size and power make it hard for them to really compete on a power usage situation. I see them being more of a way to do small task, and your tablet being a more powerful extension of your smart phone, Hopefully my view of tablets will be as good as i hope. I hope to see tablets integrated into our life that will be good for everyone, and nobody will be scared that the man is trying to steal their minds through it.