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© techrevu/ernest lilley 2003
Editor: Ernest Lilley
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Summary: (Article)
TechRevu editor Ernest Lilley sees plenty of places, from school to space, for Microsoft's newest computing format, and urges competitors to get in the game.

Though Microsoft has business users squarely in its sights as the market for Tablet PCs, tablets present such a natural way to use computers that I can think of lots of other areas that would from them. I like keyboarding, but that’s because I’ve spent years getting good at using it. Well, pretty good at it. There’s a whole world of people who could make use of computers if they didn’t have to learn to type to get started, and when they’re ready, the option is only a USB port away.

Though Microsoft has business users squarely in its sights as the market for Tablet PCs, tablets present such a natural way to use computers that I can think of lots of other areas that would benefit from them. I like keyboarding, but that’s because I’ve spent years getting good at using it. Well, pretty good at it. There’s a whole world of people who could make use of computers if they didn’t have to learn to type to get started, and when they’re ready, the option is only a USB port away.

Tablets in life? Not just sales people, but anyone who has tried to use a computer to augment their activities, whether a laptop, PDA, or wearable, finds that it gets in the way of interactions with others. Not only does it take your attention away, but the screens are hidden from view…and it makes people nervous. Besides, how many of us can actually type without looking at the screen (or our fingers) to make sure we've got it right?

Tablets add the advantages of the classic note-taking model (paper and pen) and remove a lot of the anxiety people around you feel because it’s easy to show them what you’re doing, and they know you’re not recording them verbatim. I’d rather use a keyboard because of the substantial increases in speed and readability I get but I can always plug a keyboard in later when it’s just me and my slab and you can’t type standing up.

Tablets in school? Taking class notes on a tablet sounds like so much fun I want to go back and get another degree just to try it. The integration of writing and drawing that Microsoft Journal makes so natural is tailor made for the classroom, and using the tablet as an e-book reader has got to be better than dragging around a backpack full of textbooks. Just think how many dimes I at the library by not having to make copies if I had a USB handheld scanner along. I’m hoping that there is a big push to get these devices into student’s hands, the way Apple has done for years, though this is one of the few areas that Microsoft has failed to learn from others.

Tablets in Space? Why not? Have you ever tried using a laptop while floating around in microgravity? No? Me either, but it can’t be fun. You’d have to hold down both the laptop and yourself so that every key press didn’t push you away. I don’t even want to think about trying it outside in a suit. How hard could it be to put a Wacom® coil into an astronaut’s glove so the device can read his motions? Add some Velcro® (favorite fastener of the space program) and a tether to keep it from floating off and you can take a tablet on EVA as easily as around the shirtsleeve environment of the International Space Station. How hard would it be to make a Tablet as waterproof as my $15 Casio watch (100 meters)?

Tablets in the Third World? Because a Tablet device can be designed with no moving parts except a hard drive, and not even that in a pinch, their durability and economy make them perfect for harsh environments. Making a tablet dirt and immersion proof is hardly even a challenge. You’re probably thinking about shop floors and emergency workers…but I’m thinking about third world countries and all the people in wealthy countries like the US who don’t have access to computers. Because Tablet’s are pen-centric, they should adapt to local languages better than keyboard devices, and the amount of power a tablet requires can easily be provided by a car battery. If we don’t give people access, we’ll find them standing on the other side of the digital divide wondering why we’re informed and they’re in the dark. Or worse yet, not even wondering at all.

Tablets without Microsoft? Though Tablet PC is a Microsoft product, there have been others before who tried and failed to get the momentum needed for it to take off. Partly that was a matter of immature technology, and the time is right for a resurgence across different operating systems. Apple, please dust off the Newton and get in the game. I know a number of artists and graphics people who really love the tablet form factor…so it’s clearly an extension of the graphics ghetto that Apple has been collecting rent from for years. Can you imagine what Apple could do with the power of a G4 in a Tablet format?

Why can't we all just get along...for once? From the outset, it’s going to be critical to have machines that can trade files and talk to each other, especially for anyone besides Microsoft to play in the field. I know this is hardly a compelling business argument, because it’s the nature of business to try and create monopolies, but what the world needs is better ways to communicate, not more ways to divide us.  

Tablets can do more than just expand our sales opportunities. They can help us expand our lives.