One more press article–this time from eWeek–contemplates the future of Tablets in the wake of WinHEC.
As I mentioned earlier today, I wish I’d gone to WinHEC to better understand all of this. Oh well.
One point I would have made to author Mark Hachman, if I’d met him, is that yes convertibles are great for keyboard centric users, and yes, slates are excellent for people who have to stand up while working. However, hybrids are my favorite solution. I want to be able to type when sitting at a desk, but I’d like to be able to pop off the screen and take it with me when I’m moving around. Right now, HP has the best solution for this. But I’d like to see more.
After using a Tablet for about a year and a half, I can’t imagine a computer without inking capabilities, WiFi, and ultra mobility. Tablets have changed the way I think about using computers and changed the way I think about programming.
Most people still have not heard or seen of Tablet PCs, so the word is still getting out. In fact, I’m having lunch today with a student and former colleague that wants to check out my Toshiba M200 to see if that’s the Tablet model he wants to buy. If he does get a Tablet, he’ll be the third student in his engineering classes that has one.
Recently, it was announced that the TabletPC hit the one million unit sales mark. While several writers are wondering if this is a failed product, this article http://www.fastcompany.com/online/15/smallthing.html
says that the Palm Pilot took 18 months to sell a million units. “Hawkins … had created one of the fastest-selling consumer-electronics products in history.”
I think the TabletPC is doing fine.
From what I understand Tablet sales have been picking up steadily. Hopefully, new IDC numbers will start hitting the press.