Quote:
Originally Posted by bill_mchale
While, it is conceivable that tablets will replace some paper, I doubt that it will ever completely eliminate paper for business. Sometimes nothing substitutes for scribbling tons of notes when brainstorming ideas and then spreading them out next to each other to see what floats.... Giving each worker 5-6 tablets to do this sort of thing is probably impractical  . |
Maybe... but whiteboards can handle quite a bit of that load, and future tablets could be connected to a LAN, allowing them to share notes. Offices routinely give employees electronic equipment, or instruct them that it is part of their job requirement to bring such gear to work. Strictly speaking, there's no reason it can't happen.
As someone who worked in business actively converting blunt, manual copying of paper-based systems to electronic systems and digital documents (including working with networked printers from Xerox, Kodak, Sharp and Oce), I can say with confidence that there is nothing paper can do in the office that cannot be replaced by digital systems, and save a boatload of cash besides. Most resistance to the idea had been purely subjective, lead by those who simply did not want to try something different. But in offices where change was more aggressively pursued, workers eventually got used to the new systems, then embraced them.
I should point out that, although electronic devices can replace paper, touch tablets won't be the best choice for every task. Many office tasks are better suited by keyboards and mice than touchscreens, at least with today's technology.