Even before 2012, market analysts were confidently forecasting that global sales of tablet PCs were likely to reach beyond 70 million this year - up from nearly 52 million units in 2011 and the 17 million sold in 2010! Surveys conducted in Autumn of 2011 found that 90 per cent of companies claimed they would be investing in handheld PCs for their workforce.
The serious interest being taken in the tablet PC as a strategic mobile workflow solution in the professional and commercial environment signals a radical shift in the perception of handheld computers as simply mass media toys for watching videos and gaming while commuting or browsing online on the TV sofa!
In key areas of both public and private service industries, from healthcare and education to retail distribution, construction and research, there is now a growing belief that a rugged tablet PC could realistically replace the laptop as the mobile device of choice. Or at the very least, be the ultra portable, lightweight accompaniment in the field where instant access to the web, intranet data and files for person to person display is crucial whatever the terrain!
So it’s worth just reminding ourselves of some of the main practical reasons why the tablet PC is set to be the indispensable digital tool needed when clear scalable touch and display is needed…
Perfect portability
The first big benefit is obviously, portability! With a standard laptop weighing between 2 - 5kg and a tablet PC around 600g, the difference is striking! Even a 7 inch rugged tablet PC comes in approx. 95g - 1.3 kg, half the weight of a laptop normally lugged around for simply web surfing and firing off emails – for which the tablet PC is the convenience king! Whether sitting, standing or on the move …
Longer battery life
For the busy professional on the go there is nothing more irritating than when technology lets you down precisely at the moment when you really need it to be functioning at full gallop! A single charge might not be enough to keep your laptop going all day and can die just at the wrong moment! The battery capacity of a handheld computer is easily up to 8 hours or even more – crucial when required in environments where power is not available for working off the mains supply.
Multiple connectivity
Armed with options of Bluetooth (connection is far easier on a tablet PC than laptop), Wi-Fi, USB and integrated GPS, user access to internet, cloud services, and company intranet should present no problem.
Larger scale Screen
Even the trend for the 7in option over the 10in for total lightweight use, is at least double the dimensions of a standard 2- 4in smartphone screen. With super tough gorilla glass, readable in sunlight, the anti-reflective and anti-glare properties are purpose-built for clear, detailed screen viewing, completely adapted to an outdoor setting under the harshest weather conditions.
Add to the above the key benefits of a rugged tablet PC - custom built and IP rated to be drop-proof and to withstand harsh working conditions by securely sealing the body against moisture, dust, mud and other impurities, the thousands of mobile applications and social media integration for instant communication, vital to today’s working landscape – it’s not difficult to see why 2012 is the year tablet PCs become the ultimate PC tool.