The mandatory tablet
Summary: Have tablets become a requirement for conferences?
I recently had the opportunity to attend a vendor's analyst event. After a while, all of these events seem to fade into one another and they all look alike. They start with a video with very, very loud pulsing music which is designed to build attendee enthusiasm and excitement. Several executives come out and present how the company is winning every battle. After a while, I find myself looking around the room to see what trends I can pick up from watching analyst behavior. They, after all, are doing their best to keep up with technology and what customers are thinking and doing.
One trend that I have noticed coming on for a while is that laptop computers are fading as a required accessory and being replaced by tablets. I know, you're likely to say "Well, Duh!" It is striking, however, to see only one or two laptops in a sea of tablets and smartphones.
Detractors like to point out that tablets don't offer the screen size, the application set or a physical keyboard that would allow a serious user to create long documents or conduct detailed analysis. Yet, this is exactly what analysts do and they're doing it with tablets.
I saw the expected Apple iPads and Samsung Galaxy Tabs. I was surprised to see Barnes and Noble Nooks and Amazon Kindles pressed into service as well.
Analysts were taking notes, writing research pieces, searching the Internet for context data and keeping up with Email. Some were doing this using the applications hosted by the tablets. More than a few were using an access virtualization tool, such as Citrix's Receiver, Logmein's cleverly named Logmein or some other such tool to access remote computing resources.
When asked, analysts would point out that these devices were smaller and lighter than a PC. They liked the long battery life. They said that using a tablet during the day and syncing up with their Laptops back in the hotel room had become their standard approach to conferences.
I guess that I'm still back in the dark ages. I carry my MacBook Pro and forgo the extra step of syncing up systems, carrying both a tablet and a laptop and still get my work done.
Have tablets become a required accessory at conferences?
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Talkback
Interesting sentence
Yet so many here claim that "Tablets are replacing PC's and laptops"
The mandatory tablet
That would be a big no.
"Detractors like to point out that tablets don't offer the screen size, the application set or a physical keyboard that would allow a serious user to create long documents or conduct detailed analysis. Yet, this is exactly what analysts do and they're doing it with tablets. "
Then they are being very inefficient and most likely only using the tablet because they can. Tablets are not good for typing as demonstrated by just about everyone including Steve Jobs in his key note. Awkward to hold, awkward to type on.
I'm going to give it a year and see if people are still using these tablets at conferences. Only using it just to use it.
Remember the PDA?
Perhaps the Windows tablet will change things, but no matter how good the handwriting recognition, note taking by hand is tedious at best for a lot of us. 40 years ago, I spent my Christmas gift money from my paper route to buy myself a typewriter so I would never again need to read my own handwriting. My handwriting has not improved in the many years since. And I don't consider virtual keyboards a practical substitute for anything beyond short text messages.
tablets are great...
I use it daily to be VERY productive
I find the keyboard just fine to type quickiy on and I love that in a meeting it is silent so not intrusive at all. I am writing this on my iPad now. Maybe it's a generational thing, but it's certainly not going away. A laptop relacement? Well, before I could remote to my virtual work PC and before I actually tried the Windows 8 tablet, I would have said no. Now...I really think it is a reality. Battery life, size, noise, heat, weight, portability, - all so much better than a laptop. If I work in the office, I use my laptop with a screen. Otherwise I use my iPad. Spreadsheets, my laptop & external widescreen. Email, note taking, travelling, etc. i actually now leave my laptop at home (not in the hotel!). I can forgive the annoyances of controlling a remote PC with my iPad for the sake of not having to lug around a heavy bulky laptop.
They are pretty cool
Is that all tablets are for?
I admit there are a lot of consumers that have adopted the nuaces & adapted to working on a tablet full time. Like mentioned above, there are some applications that help do this - you just have to look & buy. For most consumers, tablets are merely fun gadgets to use or say you use. The omission of USB, HDMI ports & SD card slots limits the overall potential of many today's Android tablets.
The competition should be "quaking in their boots" as Windows 8 tablet introductions are coming near. The true entrance of Microsoft tablets may prove to truly increase device productivity & help to mainstream them for all sorts of consumer & corporate uses.
what a dreamer....