Quote:
Originally Posted by Ankh
I beg to disagree.  That's not a niche market. Who wouldn't find a use for the device like that?
You just described the successor to laptop. We will end up, eventually, with a bendable, likely film-thin device with wi-fi (or equivalent), colour screen, stylus, touch-screen, running the same set of apps found on (powerful) workstations reserved for our stationary work table...
PC, mobility, the next generation. Paperless office.
That's a huge market. |
Hard to be a true successor to a laptop as even great hand writing recognition isn't going to replace a keyboard for typing--especially for those of us that do a lot of writing. Even outside of work, e-mail and some web stuff (like this forum) would suck with a tablet with just handwriting recognition or a virtual keyboard).
So really I see myself always needing my office desktop that is my primary work machine for both research and teaching prep--statistical analyses, writing articles, lectures exams etc. My laptop which allows me to do all the same work at home so I don't have to come in every day or on weekends.
And some tablet device to replace reading and annotating which I currently still do with paper books and printouts as PCs and Laptops suck for that IMO.
Maybe a tablet device can replace the laptop if it can be put on a docking stand (or plan stand) and use wireless keyboards and mice.....but that's still clunkier to lug around than a laptop for those of us that do a lot of writing.
What I really want some thing tablet to do is replace paper for my work reading and annotating, ideally replace my Palm Pilot with PDA functions. And have e-mail and internet so I can access them for quick checks when I'm not near my PC or Laptop but have the tablet at hand.
That said, I do think there is a huge market for tablet devices in the business and academic settings--and for anyone who needs a large screen device with good annotation ability.
I just don't see it as a successor to the laptop or PC. Just a complementary device that will replace paper in the professional/academic setting.