TECHNOLOGY FOR CHANGE

A Smarter Tablet

Michael Steinhart | Date: 02-08-10 | Comments

The Apple iPad made for splashy headlines and visuals, but its business utility is dubious, at best. What would a tablet need in order to take off among mobile professionals?

The Apple iPad dominated headlines the last week of January, touted (by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, at least) as the missing link between smartphones and laptops. On paper, it looks very cool. A 9.7-inch touch screen, bursting with vivid colors, displaying Web pages and photos and media in response to your every gesture and swipe.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs shows off the new iPad tablet device.

Enthusiasts and critics alike were champing at the bit, eager to get a "hands-on" review posted online ahead of the competing consumer electronics sites.

But within hours of the launch, a slightly less rosy view of the iPad took hold.

First off, there�s the price. A basic model, packing a fairly puny 16GB solid-state drive and Wi-Fi connectivity (but no 3G modem), runs $499. Industry watchers were expecting the iPad to debut at twice that, so they were actually happy about the price tag. If you want a more robust 64GB model with Wi-Fi and 3G, however, you�re going to have to wait until May, and you�re looking at $829 plus a $30-per-month data plan for unlimited access. That�s a fairly hefty price to pay for a Web-viewing device that doesn�t even come with a camera.

That brings us to the next issue: features that are very noticeably lacking. Wired magazine noted several glaring omissions, including the aforementioned camera, which rules out video chat, and Flash support in the Safari browser, which rules out many popular video sites.

In addition, and unlike its ostensibly anemic netbook cousins, the iPad runs on the iPhone OS, lacks USB ports and a keyboard, and its battery and memory are fixed, not swappable.

Despite these shortcomings, some analysts have declared that the iPad is going to make inroads among business users. After all, it can handle basic e-mail, contact management and presentations, via downloadable applications, so many mobile professionals may prefer it to a laptop. I think the lack of camera and the sparse browser support for rich, Web-based apps make the iPad a less-than-desirable accessory for a mobile professional.

That said, what would a truly business-class tablet look like? And would anybody want one?

The fact is, tablet PCs have been around for years, but vendors marketed them primarily toward vertical markets such as education and medicine. Field workers, too, could benefit from the tablet form factor when taking data or entering orders on the go. Now that 3G modems extend high-speed access beyond Wi-Fi hot spots, though, it�s possible that tablets could appeal to a wider audience.

What would it need? Well, for starters, a proper OS and ports. Then I�d add Wi-Fi and 3G, standard. A fully functional browser (or variety of browsers) that supports Flash and other rich Web environments. The ability to multitask. A built-in Webcam. All of these features would strain battery life, but as long as this tablet could deliver 4 to 5 hours, business users would be happy. With this thus-far imaginary tablet in hand, what would you really be missing? A keyboard. But if you�re browsing, reviewing, conferencing, annotating or otherwise engaged in activities that don�t require extensive typing, it would fit the bill nicely.

Let�s see how other hardware vendors approach this potentially hot market. In the mean time, what features would you insist on in order to consider a tablet viable for your business activities? Add your comments here!