innocent_lex (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
innocent_lex) wrote2010-06-03 03:09 pm
innocent_lex) wrote2010-06-03 03:09 pm
Entry tags:
Tablets, tablets everywhere
I'm intrigued and more than a little bewildered by the number of people commenting on tech blogs to say they can't imagine Win7 on a tablet, how hard it would be to use, yadda yadda. They're probably talking about any version of windows, because picking on Win7 particularly is daft - it has a lot more touch / pen-enabled functionality than Vista, and Vista had a lot (no matter how much it irritated me). My theory on this goes as so:
- the people who don't want windows on a tablet are the people who think tablets should be touch only (i.e. use fingers and not stylus)
- the people who don't want windows on a tablet aren't particularly interested in being productive with a tablet
The thing is, this new wave of tablets that are being made this year are good for those people who want touch only. They're not good (yet) for people who want productivity (or large hard drives). And they're giving many people the impression that tablet=slate, which also isn't true. A tablet computer is one that you can touch and / or write on, and they come in various modes. The one I've had for about 3 years is a convertible, which means it looks like a really small PC (or a netbook, if you will) including keyboard, and the screen can twist around to switch into slate mode. This is great for me, and though the hard drive is a little small at 160gig, it's done well over the years. I pre-ordered Win7 for it, knowing the great pen/touch functionality it had. It arrived just ahead of launch day, installed beautifully, and I wouldn't go back. So on a 7-inch screen I have all the capabilities of a full OS along with lots more additional functionality than I had before. Me and my stylus are awfully fond of it.
So, no, I don't follow why all these people who claim to be interested in tech would say that Win7 on a tablet -- something with such great functionality -- is bad when what they really mean is they haven't tried it or they simply want something else themselves. Every bit of tech has its own audience, those people for whom it will be the ideal solution. I'm sure there are plenty of people who spent a lot of money on a new apple tablet, took it home and loved it for being so shiny or for having a great screen or for being something they can put on their knees and surf while watching telly, and on the other side there are plenty of people who spent a couple of days with it and then wondered what the heck they were thinking and could they get their money back. The hype will always get to people - it's inevitable. The responsible tech blogs, magazines and on-line news put emphasis on getting what's right for you, and not what's 'of the moment'. But still many people reading them don't get that message. That's how tech firms make their money, I suppose.
- the people who don't want windows on a tablet are the people who think tablets should be touch only (i.e. use fingers and not stylus)
- the people who don't want windows on a tablet aren't particularly interested in being productive with a tablet
The thing is, this new wave of tablets that are being made this year are good for those people who want touch only. They're not good (yet) for people who want productivity (or large hard drives). And they're giving many people the impression that tablet=slate, which also isn't true. A tablet computer is one that you can touch and / or write on, and they come in various modes. The one I've had for about 3 years is a convertible, which means it looks like a really small PC (or a netbook, if you will) including keyboard, and the screen can twist around to switch into slate mode. This is great for me, and though the hard drive is a little small at 160gig, it's done well over the years. I pre-ordered Win7 for it, knowing the great pen/touch functionality it had. It arrived just ahead of launch day, installed beautifully, and I wouldn't go back. So on a 7-inch screen I have all the capabilities of a full OS along with lots more additional functionality than I had before. Me and my stylus are awfully fond of it.
So, no, I don't follow why all these people who claim to be interested in tech would say that Win7 on a tablet -- something with such great functionality -- is bad when what they really mean is they haven't tried it or they simply want something else themselves. Every bit of tech has its own audience, those people for whom it will be the ideal solution. I'm sure there are plenty of people who spent a lot of money on a new apple tablet, took it home and loved it for being so shiny or for having a great screen or for being something they can put on their knees and surf while watching telly, and on the other side there are plenty of people who spent a couple of days with it and then wondered what the heck they were thinking and could they get their money back. The hype will always get to people - it's inevitable. The responsible tech blogs, magazines and on-line news put emphasis on getting what's right for you, and not what's 'of the moment'. But still many people reading them don't get that message. That's how tech firms make their money, I suppose.