Tablets Replacing Traditional Computers

Not since they were carried down the side of a mountain in the Middle East have “tablets” been so popular. The tablets that Moses used had a very a small amount of data storage capacity, but you couldn’t beat the reliability of the memory and battery life was awesome. Now more than 2000 years later, tablets like the Apple’s iPad, Samsung’s Galaxy or Amazon’s Fire have taken over the portable computing landscape.

A tablet computer is a mobile device that is larger than a standard cell phone. Most have touch screens rather than a physical keyboard. Most can do just about any task that can be done on a lap top or desk top computer. They connect to the Internet via either a wifi connection or mobile phone network or both. By far the most popular is the iPad, first released in 2010 and now in its third iteration with the announcement of the iPad3.

Apple was not the first to enter the market as Microsoft and others tried unsuccessfully to bring tablets to consumers in the late 1990s. A combination of the nascent technology of the times and a clunky user interface, some using a stylus rather than touch control, made the early offerings a marketing and sales flop.

According to industry sources, Apple is on track to sell 100 million iPads worldwide this year. Microsoft, with its new Windows 8 operating system, also has the tablet market in their sights.

So what is the big deal? Why are tablets all the rage? Will they soon make a standard desktop or lap top computer seem as quaint as a dial telephone or record player?

Tablets and advanced smart phones have several benefits for those working and living in our mobile society that has a ravenous desire for information and immediate gratification. They are portable and, since they connect wirelessly to the Internet, can access vast stores of information without having to keep that information within the device. Increasingly, users are able to verbally make requests rather than type in commands. In a society that blurs office and home, tablets offer the capacity to do work and keep up with family and friends at the same time.

According to Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, his company has sold a total of 315 million iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touches, with a full 62 million devices being sold in the last 4 months of 2011. It is clear that this tablet phenomenon is much more than a “pet rock” anomaly. Tablets will give us the ability to have at our fingertips instant access to information and communication with family at home or colleagues on the other side of the world. It is exciting to look ahead considering how quickly the capacities of these tablet devices have expanded in only a few years. Stay tuned. Or should I say, stay connected.

What to look for in 2012

It is a new year and time to take a look into my digital crystal ball and try to divine some trends, products and services that might surface on the digital landscape in 2012. Making predictions is never an easy task, nevertheless I think there are some trends that started in 2011 and will carry over into the New Year.

Tablets, especially the iPad, were very popular holiday gifts last year. These devices which merge the functionality of lap tops, mobile phones and eReaders will become even more commonplace in 2012. Already there are thousands of “apps” for tablets. Most are now aimed at the general consumer. In this coming year you will see specialized apps for specific industries. Medical charting, warehouse inventory control and student textbooks will all migrate to tablet platforms. The vision of Jon Luc Piccard reviewing the Enterprise’s operations ( http://schulzlibrary.wordpress.com/tag/jean-luc-picard/ )using a hand held tablet that once seemed far fetched will become common place.

With so many devices and services now wireless, there will be an increased need to carve out more bandwidth. The electromagnetic spectrum, the place where all these wireless channels hang out, is finite. The TV you watch, the phone calls you receive all rely on a small piece of the spectrum. Even that garage door opener needs a channel to operate.

In the late 90s the government converted all US TV channels to digital. One of the reasons was to free up some spectrum space. While some was recovered, it proved to be inadequate as more and more wireless services proliferated. Look for the government to take another look at compressing the spectrum used by radio and TV stations so channel can be opened for your Android or iPhone.

2012 looks to be the year that the auto industry turns up the digital volume. I don’t think I will see an iCar during my morning commute, but the dashboards on many new models will spot new digital features like in-car wifi, Internet radio and more sophisticated real time diagnostics beamed back to your dealer.

Don’t forget … I will be offering “A Digital Survivor’s Guide” at the Harrison Library. This 2-part presentation covers new technologies, services and devices. Part 1: Monday, January 16 and Part 2: Monday, January 23. Both run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Please register in advance for both sessions. Call (513) 369-4442 or email Harrison@CincinnatiLibrary.org. If you have suggestions for what you would like covered in these informal non-technical sessions, drop me an email.