Evolution of Tablet Computers
Posted: March 22, 2011 Filed under: tablet computers Leave a comment »
Tablet computers haven’t always been popular devices. They have been around for years, and until recently most tablets were merely laptops with touch screens that could rotate around so the screen would be visible when the lid was closed. Many of these touch screen laptops would utilize a Stylus “pen “for the “touch” interface.
The events leading to the popularity of tablet PCs is similar to what happened with netbooks. Just like with the ultra-portable laptops that preceeded netbooks, the early tablets were very expensive. In both cases, this high price tag was because they were designed to do everything a laptop could do. It wasn’t until a major move to make the 
technology cheaper that both netbooks and tablets became popular.
The way tablet computers became cheaper was to design systems that weren’t replacements for laptops, but rather to provide simple functions in a very mobile form. This is why the iPad runs on iOS, the Operating System which powers the iPhone, rather than OSX, the system which powers the Mac computers. Android tablets also run the same line of Operating Systems which power the Android phones.
Because of this reduced function, a tablet should be used by people looking to do simple activities, similar to what they would do on a smartphone, but would prefer a larger screen size. This includes browsing the web, responding to emails, watching videos, sharing pictures, or playing games. It should not be considered a replacement for a computer. Just like early laptops, we’re not at a point yet where the tablet is ready to replace the computer.
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