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!
