Tablet PC vs. Table Device
Posted on | November 21, 2009 | 2 Comments
I would like to make a (hopefully) clear difference between a Tablet PC and a Tablet Device. A Tablet PC is one that is inexorably tied to or has it’s roots firmly in the “traditional” computer operating system. So, essentially, a Tablet PC is a PC that has some special touch capabilities and may or may not have additional software to specifically take advantage of those capabilities. A Tablet Device on the other hand is one that can be called a PC but has no clear roots attached to any traditional operating system. The underlying operating system for a Tablet Device is more akin to those that power cell phones. These OS’ are not bloated pieces of software. Rather, they are slim and trim, allowing support for specific hardware specifications.
Furthermore, a Tablet Device does not try to do all the things a PC can do. It has a smaller range of functionality (note that I did not use the word, “limited” as I don’t want to make it sound weak), but the things it does (or will do), it does quite well, or likely extremely well if we ultimately get our hands on the mythical Apple Tablet (or Slate or whatever it will be called). So, while it may be able to do a lot of things a PC can do (e.g., read text, play videos, etc.), it will ultimately not be a complete replacement.
Those to me are the difference between two, and the reason why I point these out is to focus this site on Tablet Devices. Within the next few years (starting with 2010), I predict there will be an explosion of tablet devices. This will be fueled in part by the ever decreasing costs of the associated hardware (including OLED) and the increasing popularity of touch-based applications. So, as these devices come into their own, I want to make sure we define these devices as being different than the existing Table PCs that are just regular PCs with touch screens.
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2 Responses to “Tablet PC vs. Table Device”
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November 22nd, 2009 @ 7:59 am
I’m not sure I agree. I have some Tablet PCs that I can do some really neat things, including everthing the supposed Apple Tablet can do, and probably more since my PC is a real PC. It may not be as flashy, but I like it.
November 22nd, 2009 @ 8:01 am
Good point. If you’re happy and have become used to your PC, then all power to you. The new Apple Tablet (or Slate) will be more focused and I felt that it should be separated from the more general tablet PCs.