Nielsen: How We Use Tablets in the U.S.

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

You can also buy an integrated keyboard case for some tablets - here's the Zagg keyboard case for the ipad
The Zagg case won't provide extra power to the tablet like the Asus case, though.

I'm not really a big fan of the integrated cases, though. If you want to take a BT keyboard with you, you just throw it in the bag. But if you have an integrated keyboard, you have to either: (1) take it with you all the time, because it is also your case; or (2) take your tablet out of its other case and put it in the integrated case when you think you might want the keyboard...and switching between cases is a little cumbersome.

Plus, I kind of think that if you are going to be always wanting to have a keyboard with you, you might just be better off with a laptop.

Another problem with integrated cases is that it's only guaranteed to work with your current tablet. It might not fit your next one. That Zagg case is a perfect example of this: The one made for the original iPad is too wide to fit securely on the iPad 2.

[leebase]

Originally Posted by carld

I'd like to see the poll results after the newness wears off, say a year from now.

A year from when I bought my iPad has come and gone. I use it more now than I did the first month I got it.

Tablets are for real, have real value and real purpose.

Lee

[leebase]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

Because tablets are portable, I suspect that the owners are using their tablets when they are away from their X, but always using their X when it is available (such as in their home office). Thus, they are increasing their performing of X functions by doing them when they are away from their X.

That's in the area of "duh". Tablets being portable means that any usage scenarios that benefit from portability are going to be areas most used by tablet owners.

But I can testify that I use my computer less, even when I'm home, now that I have an iPad. Far far less. About the only thing I use my computer for now is photo editing and taxes.

Of course, at work it's a different story. My owning an iPad has not reduced my usage of my computer laptop at all. I do use my iPad at work, though. Just not in ways that replace my laptop.

Lee

[Richey79]

My iPad has reduced my computer usage a good deal. I use a Microsoft a-line (more ergonomic) BT keyboard with it, and so produce lots of writing, spreadsheets and presentations on it, usually making the last couple of finishing touches on a PC, simply because at this stage a mouse speeds things up a great deal.

For reading, browsing and writing, a tablet has become indispensible to me. There's no way this is a gimmick that I'm forcing myself to use. I am, by personality, not an early adopter of products.

The workflow of using applications like Instapaper, Office HD , the OED, Big Oven, Flipboard and Adobe Ideas is seamless for me and just 'fits'. It's much easier to, for example, find a recipe I like on Big Oven, paste it into my notes and then sync it to my Android phome to take to the supermarket, than it would be to do the same task with my PC or even write the recipe out by hand. Switching on the PC with its noisy fans (maybe my fault for pushing my components a bit hard, LOL), need to sit at my desk and the psychological feeling that I'm engaged in 'real work' crushes a lot of the fun out of it.

Sure, I'm not going to be getting rid of my PC in the forseeable future: I need it for Photoshop, formatting professional documents and downloading larger files. But I can certainly dump my laptop, which I always found to be too big and clumsy to be called truly portable - or comfortable to use anywhere but on a desk - anyway.

[leebase]

Originally Posted by Richey79

For reading, browsing and writing, a tablet has become indispensible to me. There's no way this is a gimmick that I'm forcing myself to use. I am, by personality, not an early adopter of products.

Now now, fess up. You KNOW you are just trying to justify the expensive toy you bought. No one really uses an iPad.



Lee

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Richey79

My iPad has reduced my computer usage a good deal. I use a Microsoft a-line (more ergonomic) BT keyboard with it, and so produce lots of writing, spreadsheets and presentations on it, usually making the last couple of finishing touches on a PC, simply because at this stage a mouse speeds things up a great deal.

For reading, browsing and writing, a tablet has become indispensible to me. There's no way this is a gimmick that I'm forcing myself to use. I am, by personality, not an early adopter of products.

The workflow of using applications like Instapaper, Office HD , the OED, Big Oven, Flipboard and Adobe Ideas is seamless for me and just 'fits'. It's much easier to, for example, find a recipe I like on Big Oven, paste it into my notes and then sync it to my Android phome to take to the supermarket, than it would be to do the same task with my PC or even write the recipe out by hand. Switching on the PC with its noisy fans (maybe my fault for pushing my components a bit hard, LOL), need to sit at my desk and the psychological feeling that I'm engaged in 'real work' crushes a lot of the fun out of it.

Sure, I'm not going to be getting rid of my PC in the forseeable future: I need it for Photoshop, formatting professional documents and downloading larger files. But I can certainly dump my laptop, which I always found to be too big and clumsy to be called truly portable - or comfortable to use anywhere but on a desk - anyway.

Well, but what if the PC came in tablet form, fully functional OS and only slightly heavier than the iPad, 8 hours battery life and immediate startup? Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds? An All-In-One that perhaps costs 2-300 USD more? We will be there in a less than a year, we already do have some promising specimen out there or announced.

I still feel that those phone OS tablets are just a "transit stage", filling certain needs with reduced functionality that will be upstaged by real computers in tablet form as the hardware and batteries catch up. Just as phones have taken over the PDA market and MP3 players that would have virtually disappeared if not for the the fact that phones are sold on contracts in many countries.

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

Well, but what if the PC came in tablet form, fully functional OS and only slightly heavier than the iPad, 8 hours battery life and immediate startup? Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds? An All-In-One that perhaps costs 2-300 USD more? We will be there in a less than a year, we already do have some promising specimen out there or announced.

I still feel that those phone OS tablets are just a "transit stage", filling certain needs with reduced functionality that will be upstaged by real computers in tablet form as the hardware and batteries catch up. Just as phones have taken over the PDA market and MP3 players that would have virtually disappeared if not for the the fact that phones are sold on contracts in many countries.

One problem is that Windows and most of its applications are still very poorly optimized for touch input. Having been designed around the keyboard and mouse.

Also I don't think the overwhelming majority of users actually need something that complex.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Dylrob

One problem is that Windows and most of its applications are still very poorly optimized for touch input. Having been designed around the keyboard and mouse.

Also I don't think the overwhelming majority of users actually need something that complex.

Actually using a Windows tablet I can say that this "windows is not for touch" is not really accurate. There are instances when something is a little inconvenient, but in general that statement isn't quite true. Besides, I am talking about 1-2 years into the future. I am sure Windows will be fully optimized by then.

Does everyone need something that complex? The question is, must powerful always be complex? Also, I was talking about people who have two devices --- a laptop/desktop and a tablet. Why not buy one converged device that can handle the tasks of both equally well, doesn't cost much more than the tablet and is just as light with a battery lasting just as long? And that offers no limitations on what you can do with it?

Android and iOS tablets would continue to exist but at a price point below $200 as pure media consumption devices only.

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

Actually using a Windows tablet I can say that this "windows is not for touch" is not really accurate. There are instances when something is a little inconvenient, but in general that statement isn't quite true. Besides, I am talking about 1-2 years into the future. I am sure Windows will be fully optimized by then.

Even a year or two from now I don't think things will change that drastically. Applications will still be prodominately designed around a mouse, not a touchscreen. Unless tablet computers suddenly replaced all other types of PC.

Does everyone need something that complex? The question is, must powerful always be complex? Also, I was talking about people who have two devices --- a laptop/desktop and a tablet. Why not buy one converged device that can handle the tasks of both equally well, doesn't cost much more than the tablet and is just as light with a battery lasting just as long? And that offers no limitations on what you can do with it?

Android and iOS tablets would continue to exist but at a price point below $200 as pure media consumption devices only.

But there's the thing: Most people basically use their computers for media consumption only. They wouldn't be limited much if at all by a tablet running something like Android. Especially with new features constantly being added.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Dylrob

Even I year or two from now I don't think things will change that drastically. Applications will still be prodominately designed around a mouse, not a touchscreen. Unless tablet computers suddenly replaced all other types of PC.



But there's the thing: Most people basically use their computers for media consumption only. They wouldn't being limited much if at all by a tablet running something like Android.

That is just the point, your hand is the mouse. Works great in most cases. Only for some 3rd party programs some elements would have to be larger. And you can still just plug in a mouse if you want for "real" computing work.

Some limitations for media consumption:

1.)Hulu -- you need to pay each month for Hulu plus
2.)VPN problems
3.)You cannot run media in the background (except music)

[OtterBooks]

It's gonna be while before desktops are replaced. A lot of recreational computing is done at home, and people like their 24" displays. We can speak of portable technology catching up, but full-sized computer technology isn't exactly standing still, waiting for it. Tablets are just now getting duo-core, with octo-core desktops on the horizon.

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

Actually using a Windows tablet I can say that this "windows is not for touch" is not really accurate. There are instances when something is a little inconvenient, but in general that statement isn't quite true. Besides, I am talking about 1-2 years into the future. I am sure Windows will be fully optimized by then.

Really? You think that in a couple of years, decades of windows conventions are going to be converted to touch and it's going to work as well as OS's designed from the ground up for touch? I'm pretty skeptical that this will happen.

The issue, though, isn't really windows; it's the programs that will run on the tablet. IOW, you need not just a touch optimized windows, but all of the programs also need to be touch optimized...but presumably also able to run unaltered on a desktop, where you won't be using touch.

And even if we assume that tablets powerful enough to run windows will exist in the form factor of, say, today's iPad 2 (which is plausible given how well w7 runs on my netbook), it's not clear to me that many of the applications you might want to run would be able to run on that windows tablet.

Nor is it the case that other tablet makers will stand still during these couple of years - the Xoom 3 may weight 9 oz and have a 15 hour battery life in two years.

Does everyone need something that complex? The question is, must powerful always be complex? Also, I was talking about people who have two devices --- a laptop/desktop and a tablet. Why not buy one converged device that can handle the tasks of both equally well, doesn't cost much more than the tablet and is just as light with a battery lasting just as long? And that offers no limitations on what you can do with it?

This is a good question, but it assumes the existence of a converged device which may not exist. The one great insight that Apple had about the tablet was that it would work better with a custom OS and not with a desktop/laptop OS. Eventually there probably will be convergence...but I don't see it in the short term; I think that making it happen is really very complicated.

Android and iOS tablets would continue to exist but at a price point below $200 as pure media consumption devices only.

That's basically what they are now. Of course, that's basically what home computers are now, too.

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

That is just the point, your hand is the mouse. Works great in most cases. Only for some 3rd party programs some elements would have to be larger. And you can still just plug in a mouse if you want for "real" computing work.

I have used touch input in Windows before. Even with slightly bigger elements it just doesn't feel as natural to use; It's still clear that this was optimized for a mouse as apposed to a finger.

Originally Posted by HansTWN

Some limitations for media consumption:

1.)Hulu -- you need to pay each month for Hulu plus
2.)VPN problems
3.)You cannot run media in the background (except music)

1. Hulu plus is annoying, though I don't think that's going to be enough to convience someone to buy a Windows tablet. (And for the more tech minded there are ways around it.)
2. The average user has likely never even heard of VPN.
3. With the kind of hardware that these low power tabletPCs would be running on, playing media in the background may not be the best idea anyway. Which brings up another point.... You say this device could handle either task equally well, but really their limited processing power would make them less than ideal platforms for stuff like photo or video editing, or playing modern PC games.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Dylrob

I have used touch input in Windows before. Even with slightly bigger elements it just doesn't feel as natural to use; It's still clear that this was optimized for a mouse as apposed to a finger.



1. Hulu plus is annoying, though I don't think that's going to be enough to convience someone to buy a Windows tablet. (And for the more tech minded there are ways around it.)
2. The average user has likely never even heard of VPN.
3. With the kind of hardware that these low power tabletPCs would be running on, playing media in the background may not be the best idea anyway. Which brings up another point.... You say this device could handle either task equally well, but really their limited processing power would make them less than ideal platforms for stuff like photo or video editing, or playing modern PC games.

I am not talking about limited processing power (those have been around for many years and are just too slow), I am talking about i5 or i7 CPUs with 4-8 GB of RAM and SSDs. That is what we will have by next year. The Asus EP121 is a first step in that direction -- but still stuck with an old processor type which means battery life is suboptimal.

So the only thing these devices could not handle is high-end gaming, since there is no room for advanced dedicated graphics. I think this will be just a natural evolution the tech industry will take, more capable devices taking over as they become cheaper and more convenient, even though not every user will need all functions. Just as smart phones are slowly pushing out dumb phones. And the "dumb" tablets would logically be pushed to the low end of the price spectrum. Not a bad thing to have such a device for 199 off contract, they will still have a big market.

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

I am not talking about limited processing power (those have been around for many years and are just too slow), I am talking about i5 or i7 CPUs with 4-8 GB of RAM and SSDs. That is what we will have by next year. The Asus EP121 is a first step in that direction -- but still stuck with an old processor type which means battery life is suboptimal.

So the only thing these devices could not handle is high-end gaming, since there is no room for advanced dedicated graphics. I think this will be just a natural evolution the tech industry will take, more capable devices taking over as they become cheaper and more convenient, even though not every user will need all functions. Just as smart phones are slowly pushing out dumb phones. And the "dumb" tablets would logically be pushed to the low end of the price spectrum. Not a bad thing to have such a device for 199 off contract, they will still have a big market.

Putting that kind of power into a tablet of similar size, weight and battery life to the current crop of Tablet devices doesn't sound remotely possible with current technology, or even technology available two years from now.