The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held last week in Las Vegas clearly highlighted tablet PCs as really bringing something new to the table! In the next 12 months, some 5 per cent of households are likely to become multi-tablet PC. Estimated sales of 100 million handheld computers are predicted to be more than double the 2011 total of 47 million, according to a newly published report on technology, media and telecom trends by Deloitte & Touche LLP.
As with most technology choices, a prospective user will identify the device that will most answer their particular need or preference for a given set of tasks. Undoubtedly, the rising success of the tablet PC, which has not been confined to just one or two of the most well-known global brands, has led to the appearance of the ultrabook, which seeks to compete as a superthin, lightweight laptop alternative.
While some users will look to an ultrabook to serve their more office-based applications, current pricing can compare unfavourably against an ultramobile handheld PC. In the commercial workplace, of course, only a rugged tablet PC will do. An IP rated 7-13 inch antiglare Gorilla glass screen and a body, moisture-resistant and drop -proof from six feet is more the kind of basic spec demanded on-site, where environment and weather conditions are a daily factor.
Field and mobile working environments are intrinsic to the success of the handheld PC, where the key tasks most often required on the move is not data entry, complex photo or document editing but long battery life and constant access to the web, mobile apps, file data display /sharing, email and social networking communication.
In the past, this has been achieved by dragging a heavy laptop around, opening the lid and trying to balance on a flat surface, or on the knee, squinting at a screen too dark to see clearly under an open sky and losing connection at a crucial point! Bluetooth connection, Wi-Fi, USB and integrated GPS, all provide the tablet PC user access to internet, cloud services, and intranet files.
Enterprise and industry are recognising that a touch screen tablet PC is the ideal tool for mobile tasks where compact, robust but lightweight technology with a screen at least twice the size of a smartphone means vital on the move operations can be instantly deployed.
Tablet PCs have sometimes been referred to as belonging to a niche market, as their application centres on specific mobile tasks rather than detailed in-office document processing. While surveys tends to show that nearly half of users believe the tablet PC will overtake the laptop, the likelihood is that they will co-exist.
For industries such as construction, manufacturing and retail distribution, the portable benefits of the tablet PC on-site, on the road or in the warehouse are obvious and their sectors look to be the first to see the tablet as the preferred choice over laptop and PC.