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Old 04-11-2013, 12:33 PM   #18
BWinmill
Nameless Being
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by wizwor View Post
In other news, cathode ray tube sales continue to decline.
There is a bit of a difference between CRT vs. LCD and computer vs. tablet. LCDs are a functional replacement for CRTs. One can be replaced by the other without altering what you can do with your computer. Tablets are not a functional replacement for computers. The hardware, system software, and application software all impose too many restrictions.

Writing is a good example of the limitations of tablets. You need a keyboard if you're going to do much writing, which means buying docking keyboard or buying a bluetooth keyboard plus a stand. If you're doing a lot of writing and you're writing in different places, carrying around and setting up that extra hardware defeats the purpose of having a tablet. Even though tablets negate the need for printing in many circumstances, it doesn't negate it completely. Unfortunately, the system and application software found on most tablets has very limited support for printers. Being able to print from your favourite printer usually involves using a computer. The maturity of word processing applications also leaves a lot to be desired. They may get the job done for simple tasks, but most (if not all) of the word processors lack features that are necessary for basic productivity in the office.

Now a lot of people can get away with just using a tablet. Most of the rest will be able to function with tablets once the software matures. (Let's face it, a tablet is a computer. They have a processor and memory to do the number crunching, as well as integrated input and output devices. Most, if not all, tablets support Wi-Fi networking and USB host mode in order to expand their capabilities beyond a standalone appliance. Heck, most of them run stripped down versions of Unix that can be replaced with full featured versions of Unix if the user desires.) But most of the rest doesn't mean everyone. I don't foresee tablet operating systems aspiring to be feature complete because limited functionality, more commonly referred to as ease of use, is attractive to the people who are interested in tablets. Tablets are also going to be behind the times in terms of performance, simply because higher performance machines tend to be larger and require more power.

Tablets may be the future, but they aren't going to replace computers in the way that LCDs replaced CRTs.
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