The concept behind tablet computing is obvious; design a product larger, more powerful and easier to use than a smart phone, but smaller and lighter than a laptop. Let’s face it, anyone who has ever used an iPhone or a BlackBerry or a HTC has at some point complained about the display. Screen sensitivity and resolutions have improved a lot, but you can’t do anything about the size; I’ve been straining my eyes reading off my iPod touch for 2 years. But then you reach the problem of no middle ground; much of the time it is just not practical to carry a laptop around; mine weighs in somewhere around 1.3kg with a 15.6″ screen. Sure it fits in my bag but it is a space and weight hog. Factor in books and notes with that and it’s a bit cumbersome. Thus, enter the tablet.
I’m specifically going to be talking about the iPad, but I don’t see why anything I say here cannot be applicable to any other tablet device. I’d like to point something out before I say anything though; this is not designed to be a laptop replacement. Lots of people think it is and then complain about the somewhat more limited functionality of these devices. No, in my opinion the iPad, or any other tablet for that matter, is primarily a portable media and connectivity device. Very slowly are we now beginning to see a movement over into work orientated applications; for instance MS Office is being ported to iOS, and couple your iPad with a keyboard and stand and you have a good laptop equivalent for on the go. I’m not saying it is the be all and end all, I use my laptop for gaming and image editing and when I need to do serious work like essays and such now because that is what it is best at. My iPad, somewhat lacking those features, is what I use largely for browsing now, since that is what it is best at.
“Oh my god my butt is clenched so hard right now! It’s terrible for browsing because it can’t run Flash!” I hear you cry. Well you know what, Flash sucks. It sucks and has been going downhill for years. It still has its limited uses for online games and animation etc but HTML5 should, will and is replacing it for video content and interactive web page design. All the better for iOS users like me and honestly, so many large websites now have mobile versions for their sites I don’t feel impeded in my browsing experience. Besides, if you really cannot live without Flash, Android tablets have Flash support.
“How can you justify the price?! Why don’t you just buy a laptop?” Honestly, if I’d have bought a Xoom or an Archos, people wouldn’t have as much of a problem with me owning a tablet. Mention the iPad and all it gets is hate. The price is the same, if not better, than a number of tablets of similar size and power. The problem I feel is to do with the Apple logo on the back but I’m not going to get into that.
And again, laptops just don’t have the portability or convenience of tablets. I was sceptical at first as to how useful it would be but the iPad has proven to be remarkably versatile and often more useful than my laptop. The laptop is noisy, hot and unsubtle. The iPad is noiseless, cool and discrete. Sure, typing this out has been a bit of a chore, but it’s not impossible. People with smaller hands than myself would find it easier I’m sure.
“It’s nothing more than a giant iPod!” This is directed more at the iPad, but is certainly applicable to other tablets. Think about it, they all do exactly the same thing. The Xoom is an identical media platform to the iPad, it just looks different. Same for any other. Yes, it runs the same iOS as the iPod/iPhone, yes it looks similar in appearance but why fix what isn’t broken? The reason the Touch works so well is because it is simple, sleek and uncluttered. I see no problem in Apple duplicating a look that is aesthetically pleasing or keeping the OS the same, these things have been proven to work and work well. And as I said, it is more of a media centre and dedicated browser than a serious device for work, so if you’re someone who browses the web a lot, listens to a lot of music, watches a lot of video then it’s perfect.
The debate is moot at the end of the day because all it really boils down to is personal choice. I felt that the iPad would work well with my lifestyle and I don’t regret buying it. Other people might feel it irrelevant and a pointless purchase based on how they personally interact with the web, that’s cool, that’s their opinion and I can respect that. In my opinion though I suggest that people get used to the concept, because I think we are going to be seeing much more of these devices in the coming years.
