Quote:
Originally Posted by WillAdams
HansTWN --- ``early tablet wars''?!?
Pen computers have been available for over two decades now --- I got my NCR-3125 almost 20 years ago. Anyone interested in tablet computing should read Jerry Kaplan's _StartUp_ for a background on how things fell out, though www.pencomputing.com provides an interesting overview through the older articles it has available on-line.
There's a huge selection of devices available and prices have been coming down ever since they were first introduced (the NCR-3125 listed for over $4,700 when it first came out, while my first laptop, purchased in 1985, a GRiDCase III cost $8,150). I found an HP CEO's statement that the HP slate could have been introduced two years ago for $1,500 quite striking.
As stustaff noted, ``you pays your money and you takes your choice'' --- it's always a trade-off, though improvements in technology help make choices easier and trade-offs less striking --- putting a 4GB SSD in my Fujitsu Stylistic made a huge difference in it running cool, silent and extending the battery life.
William |
I know there were tablets many years ago -- one of Bill Gates' pet projects around 2001 (or so?). But now finally the gloves come off and the war begins. Besides, finally they are getting lighter and batteries last longer. And heavy hyping by columnists, bloggers, and ads will make them more successful then they have been. Steve Jobs even got Hollywood in on the act!
Yes, SSDs are great, but you can get about 4 iPads for a a 256GB one. So I will be waiting. A tablet is just a convenience, everything it does is covered by other devices I already own. So why buy a compromise version now?