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Tablets with 4G mean productivity anywhere

A survey shows that the portability of tablets makes workers more productive in many different places. Put 4G connectivity into the mix and the sky is the limit.
Written by James Kendrick, Contributor

A survey by Forrester shows that the form factor of tablets, which is more portable than laptops, is the primary reason that IT decision makers deploy slates (or plan to do so) in the workplace. JP Gownder of Forrester calls this "hyper-portability" and elaborates on the benefits of such mobile devices.

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Gownder contends that the portability of tablets allows workers to be more productive in far more places than other devices. Such locations can range from different spots around the office, to the local coffee shop.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes takes it even further by noting that it's the "low drag" of tablets that makes them work productively. They're easy to take out of the bag, have instant on, and are easy to maintain — another good point of view on the little tablet.

This subject is very dear to me, as I have been using tablets to work all over the place. Case in point: After reading Gownder's and Kingsley-Hughes' thoughtful pieces about why tablets are popular with IT folk, I was thinking about the unusual places I use them for productive work. I recently shared some of the unique places I go to work on a regular basis. The tablet makes this easy to do, but it's the integrated 4G long-term evolution (LTE) connectivity that really makes this shine.

When I decided to write this article about the freedom that 4G on a tablet provides so I can work anywhere, it was in a city park after eating a nice lunch outdoors. Without the 4G, I would have probably waited until I got back to civilization, ie wi-fi, to get this done. Hopefully, I would have remembered all the thoughts I had back at the park. Instead, I pulled my tablet out of the bag, and in seconds I was online and writing the article. I was able to tap into the thoughts that were all fresh in my mind.

This isn't an infrequent experience in my work; it happens all the time. The tablet is always at hand and with its all-day battery life, it is ready to go at a moment's notice. The integrated 4G connectivity completes the requirement to work absolutely anywhere I happen to be. In my line of work that means that, whenever the muse strikes me, I can capture it on the go. This is very powerful to me.

When you take the hyper-portability, mix in the low drag quotient, and stir in some fast 4G, you get a tasty dish that can be consumed almost anywhere — even in the park.

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