The holiday season is upon us and in case you have not been counting, there are only 14 shopping days left. Perhaps there is a tablet PC on your list this year? For those of you who wait until the last minute, you are in good company. Today, this shopping procrastinator will spend some time looking at the world of the tablet.
With only highway ahead
Tablet sales have skyrocketed in recent years and according to Forrester Research tablets will soon overtake PC sales.
What’s the attraction? A lightweight form factor and exceptional battery life for starters. Throw in a declining price point fueled by fierce competition and you have an inviting alternative to the computing hardware many of us grew up with. Note the trends above imply tablet sales are coming at the expense of the desktop, while laptop sales remain stagnant. Always hard to see around the proverbial bend, but it would not surprise me if laptop sales soon begin to lose ground as well.
That’s my solution
My brother runs a technology company and recently shared a couple of tablet reviews with me. The first deals with tablets in general. The second one explores the expanding world of 7-inch tablets. Is it a coincidence the 7-inch tablet fits into a lab-coat pocket? Reading these reviews, it should come as no surprise that your choice is not one of hardware, but the affiliated environment. The differences between the devices are declining as the form factors converge. It’s almost as if the players were paying attention to the HP printer business model. You remember that one right? Buy a printer for next to nothing, but replace the cartridge many times during the lifetime of the printer. It’s not quite the same in this circumstance, but if you are enamored with Apple, the iPad is your device of choice. Fond of the world Amazon has to offer? The Kindle is your new best friend. Part of the Google nation? Android/Nexus will bring you to the Promised Land.
Out in the woods, or in the city
Connectivity is critical today and its importance for tablets is no different than for other portable devices. Connection to the internet comes in two basic flavors: Wi-Fi and cellular. Almost everything on the market today is Wi-Fi enabled. Cellular capabilities will cost you extra; not only for the hardware, but you will also face a monthly data-plan expense for the privilege of having this blog delivered to your tablet via cell signal. (Reading this blog is why your are shopping for a tablet, no?)
Goin’ mobile, keep me movin’
Although Pete was writing and singing (yes, he is actually singing this one) about a different type of mobility, tablet PCs are becoming ubiquitous in the public sector. Their form factor and superb battery life also make them attractive to the medical community. With less than two weeks to go, shouldn’t there be one on your list? If so do you have a favorite? Let us know by responding to the survey below. Come on move now. Mobile, mobile, mobile, mobile…
[polldaddy poll=6756147]
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