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Why Tablet Computers haven’t taken off

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PCQ Bureau
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Think of curling up with a novel in bed, or lazing on the beach while reading a book. Nice thought, right? Now think of doing the same with a computer, maybe a notebook. Not do-able, right? Now, what if there were a computer, very much like a book, as thin, as durable, and as easy to use. You would want one, right? Welcome to the world of tablets.

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Microsoft's Tablet PC lets you edit, move, copy, and sort your handwritten notesYou can find slick devices that promise the moon screaming for attention ever so often. Tablet computers are one of them. Hitachi, LG, Sharp, HP have all been peddling their tablets for some time now. The latest, and the most talked about, entrant is Microsoft with its Tablet PC, which was shown off at Comdex last year and bounced back into news recently when Microsoft announced that the Tablet PC will use Transmeta’s power-saving Crusoe processor.

There is nothing new in the concept of the Tablet PC, which will be launched in 2002. It is a slim, portable, fully functional, pen-driven computer that looks like, and is the size of the screen of a notebook. So are Aqcess Technologies’ Qbe (pronounced cube), Fujitsu’s Stylistic 3400, Sharps’ Copernicus, Hitachi’s ePlate HPW-630ETR, and LG’s Linux-based Digital iPad, amongst others.

Tablets are somewhat of a cross between a PDA and notebook. They are larger than PDAs and are full-fledged computers in themselves, while PDAs are insufficient for computing tasks. They are slimmer and lighter than notebooks and use a stylus or pen instead of a keyboard as an input device. Unlike both, you may use them at meetings where instead of taking notes on paper and later typing them into your computer, you can write directly on your tablet. In the Tablet PC you can even edit, move, copy, and sort your notes.

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Somehow, though, tablet computers haven’t really entered the mainstream. Why is this? An ideal portable computing device is one that gives you complete mobility. This comes from some basic features: a powerful processor that consumes less power and generates minimal heat; a battery which can power the device for at least a couple of hours; a color-accurate outdoor-viewable screen; a seamlessly integrated industrial-strength crash-proof operating system; a weight of not more than one-and-a-half kilos; and a price competitive to desktops. Ambitious? Yes. Remember, you cannot satisfy everyone every time.

Let’s take the above features and see to what extent they have been incorporated in some of the tablets.

Processors. This is one of the trickiest requirements to meet. However, the use of Transmeta’s Crusoe microprocessor, which takes up 1 watt of power on average at speeds of up to 600 MHz in the Tablet PC is being seen as a move that will give Microsoft an edge over other tablets. The Qbe runs on a PII/400 MHz. These let you run resource-intensive applications like graphics packages. Meanwhile, other tablets use processors that run on lower speeds, like the ePlate that uses the Hitachi SuperHTM SH-4 RISC processor operating at 128 MHz and incorporates built-in power-management controls at the hardware and software levels.

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Battery. Battery power that lasts for about two hours is considered good for a notebook. What about tablets? Here is the battery life that some of the newer tablets offer: Qbe gives 80 to 90 minutes, Stylistic two to four hours, while Copernicus offers a hot-swap battery mode that allows the standard two-hour battery pack to be changed without the machine being switched off.

Display. Since you would carry your tablet through various types of light and temperatures and use it without a keyboard, a display that is clear and large is essential. Most tablets meet these criteria, as they come with TFT (Thin Film Transistor) screens, or use some technology to make text more readable. The ePlate, for instance, uses a transflective LCD that lets you use the unit in all lighting conditions, even in direct sunlight, while Microsoft’s Tablet PC will use its ClearType technology to enhance readability. The Stylistic’s 10.4” diagonal TFT screen displays up to 1024x768 pixels in landscape mode, but yields tiny text.

Operating system. Most tablets use a Windows OS, which has a problem with pens and portrait mode displays. The Stylistic, which too uses Windows 98/2000, has overcome this by integrating the pen into the hardware layer so that it’s recognized before Windows starts up.

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Weight. For a mobile computer, a weight of more than 1.5 kg makes it difficult to lug around. Against this, the Qbe, at close to 3.5 kg, is heavy, while the Stylistic weighs 1.6 kg, ePlate 1.4 kg, and Copernicus 1 kg.

Price. A notebook, on an average, costs anywhere between $3,000 to $ 5,000, and a PDA $500. Coming to tablets, the ePlate is available for $1,500, and the Copernicus for $2,100. The Qbe at under $3,000, and Stylistic at $4,000 are steeply priced. Plus, for most of these you pay separately for other components like keyboard, and CD and floppy drives. 

None of these quite meet all, or even most, elements that can make tablets successful. So if you want to use your mobile computer for regular number crunching, word processing, or Excel- sheet type work, a tablet’s high price and a functionality that is still not mature, makes a slim, sleek, and stylish notebook with a keyboard thrown in, a smarter option still.

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