The Touch tablet dilemma

Touch tablet devices are not something new, they existed for many years but success is something never associated with them and there are many factors why this happened from which worth mentioning is exorbitant price, low performance and lack of special tailored software to take advantage of its capabilities.

All those lead to tablet PCs unsuccessful debut but starting last year there’s raising interest in bringing back tablets from the dead as hardware evolved, software too and starting prices seem to fall to ‘normal’ values. If you don’t believe in the touchscreen tablet growing trend just take a look at new releases from CES and you’ll see I’m true.

Now everything is OK once problems are solved, right? I believe not as one of the biggest issue, never addressed before is ‘why would I need one and what should I do with it once I get it?’.

That’s the biggest problem touch screen tablets have to solve: getting an answer to this question thus answering consumer’s need for a problem to be solved, if there’s such  a problem to begin with.

A touchscreen tablet

Where are tablets needed?

A good post rising a question wouldn’t be complete without trying to get an answer so I’ll tell you what my solution to the touch tablet/slate dilemma is.

Long gone is the time when computers were not personal as in more than one person used one and user accounts (boundaries) had to be set. When was the last time when you’ve lend your computer/laptop more than a few minutes to a friend? I bet you don’t recall or never did it.

Now back to tablets, they don’t have to be marketed as another personal device as users already have a desktop, laptop, netbook and netbook. Why on Earth would they need another ‘fully functional’ computer (well, not quite ‘full’ as you’ll need a port replicator to have all connections on a touch tablet). Manufacturers should present them as an alternate means to have fun with friends or family by sharing pictures, watch movies together, order stuff online, share an agenda and such. The models with mobile laptop stands included are especially suitable for family use as all you need is to lay it down on the table in the middle of the living room and start the fun.

Television sets were never ‘personal’, nor should touch tablets. They should be something a bunch of people share. What do you think, am I right?