The last decade has seen the emergence of a variety of new personal computing devices and platforms—the SmartPhone; Netbooks & Net-tops; personal media players; ebook readers; and tablets, pads & slates, to name a few. All these devices endow the user with more flexible, media-rich, always-connected computing experiences.
Pads, Tablets and Slates
A technology that has existed for nearly a decade, but has only recently come to prominence is tablet computing (together with the closely aligned pad and slate platforms). The first ‘tablet PC’ was launched by Microsoft in 2001. This, however, did not take off for various reasons. The tablet, a flat hand-held unit running Windows and using a pen as an input device, was perhaps too early for its time. Compared to today’s tablets, it had too few hardware APIs, and was too heavy and expensive.
However, the tablet-pad-slate format had a number of advantages. In actual fact, it brings in a new paradigm in personal computing in addition to the existing paradigms of desktop computing and mobile computing. This paradigm, which can be called as Immediate Computing, can be defined in the following way.
A traditional desktop or laptop is designed around the assumption that the user is not doing anything else while using the computer. Thus, both hands are required for typing on the keyboard—one handed use is not possible. Eyes have to be directed largely at the screen. The seating posture assumes that typing is the sole task that can be done. Trying to do any other 'work' while using the desktop either requires additional equipment (for example, boom mic and headphones) or is considered an interruption.
In contrast, the other existing paradigm, mobile computing, provides a more interruptible, on-the-fly style of doing tasks, but these are usually less intensive computing tasks. The main problem here is the considerable difficulties of typing on a mobile device (even when it has the so-called full qwerty keyboard) and viewing content on the small display surface. However, the large number of hardware APIs on the mobile platform (camera, GPS, accelerometer) allows creative and flexible applications to be built on mobile platforms, even though they cannot be used continuously the way a desktop is usually used.
A good illustration of the third paradigm, Immediate Computing, is the paper clipboard. We see people walking around with a clipboard, jotting down comments on the board, ticking off items from a check-list etc. For example, a doctor doing the rounds carries a clipboard, on which she notes her comments, while simultaneously talking to the patient, examining the bedside chart, talking to the nurse and examining the affected part. The clipboard becomes an extension of her memory and its use is seamless to the other activities that she carries out. At the same time, it provides a record of her activity at the end of her rounds. In other words, the clipboard fits in seamlessly into the pattern of work, providing immediate, uninterrupted service.
There are numerous examples of such use of clipboards in the industry, such as in supermarkets, warehouses, airports, the military, and schools, with the clipboard holding plain paper, printed forms or check-lists. In some cases, a printed form is written on, signed, and a carbon copy handed over at the site.
Immediate Computing capability of a Pad
A tablet/pad/slate PC is an extension of this clipboard, but offering far more features, flexibility and connectivity. The most fundamental change is that the pad does not require any set-up time. There is no need to open the bag, pull out the computer, locate a table, place it, switch it on, wait for the boot and then use it as with a notebook PC--the pad is always ready to be used immediately, anywhere, and while standing, walking or seated. There is no need to be seated at your table (as in the case of a Desktop) nor to fiddle with the mobile to locate the right application to use. The pad is sufficiently large for both easy reading, gesture-based navigation and typing with one hand.
Here are some examples of the potential use of Immediate Computing both in the industrial/business sector and for personal applications:
- The doctor on her rounds can now see each patient’s photograph for confirmation, and also a picture of the original condition of the patient
- All patient details entered are updated within the database in real-time through the wireless network. New medication is automatically ordered from the pharmacy and the laboratory is intimated about the tests required instantly. If required, experts sitting remotely can examine the patient history, pictures and procedures/medication done so far and offer advice
- The maintenance technician can take a picture of a damaged part and upload it together with the maintenance request
- The QA supervisor can run through the checklist questions, sign digitally, and print the approval form on a nearby printer
- In a warehouse, the inventory technician can query each item using an RFID or Near Field Communication (NFC) reader and automatically take a physical inventory
- In a school laboratory, an examiner can go around inspecting the output of each pupil and award marks on-the-spot
- A system administrator can access a bunch of manuals on a single pad and see both text as well as pictures and videos on how to get something done
- A car breakdown technician automatically logs the geographical location/position of each vehicle that requires repairs, and bills it accordingly
- An insurance field assessor takes multiple pictures of the damaged vehicle and instantly uploads it for his superiors in the head office
- A student takes a single pad computer to school containing all his textbooks. While reading his book he has seamless access to a dictionary, thesaurus, Wikipedia or a search engine for direct lookup
- A keen reader of books can now read anywhere--in the car, on the bed or while waiting at the dentist’s office, and get the pad to remember the exact location that he had stopped, for any number of simultaneous open books
The market
The market is abuzz with different devices that are being released in significant numbers. Of course, it was the iconic iPad that really stimulated the market to its current frenzy, but much of the considered optimism on account of Google Android, the Open Source Smart Device Operation System that has emerged to be extremely popular in the last two years.
While Froyo (Android 2.2) and Gingerbread (Android 2.3) are both generic OSes for both smartphones as well as pads/tablets, Honeycomb (Android 3.0) is reportedly exclusive for pads, tablets and slates, leveraging the exclusive features of the pad (larger screen, more business oriented applications, easier-to-use keyboard etc). The fact that Honeycomb is exclusive to pads makes it clear that Google considers the pad market to be mature.
Many companies, both well-known and new, have placed their pad offerings in the market. These range from the highly advertised Galaxy Tab from Samsung, to Dell Streak, to several cheap (around US$ 250 for an 8” device) Chinese manufacturers.
The prognosis for the pad, tablet and slate segment is very bright. Given that most of these will be running Open Source OSes such as Android makes the entry barrier for developers quite low. Coupled with an Open Source platform such as Android, Immediate Computing opens up an entirely new paradigm and market segment.
