I remember the release of the iPad quite vividly. I was in business school at the time, and the one question that I kept coming back to was, "What does it do?" With the data unfolding that tablet sales have stagnated, this is a worthy question to revisit.
What makes a tablet different from similar devices?
- Loads up faster than a computer
- Data input and data interaction is slower than a PC (typing wpm, transfer of files, raw processing power), but faster than a smartphone
- Bigger than a smartphone, so it's easier for those lacking coordination, older, and farsighted, but not quite so large as to lug around a laptop. However, it's still inconvenient to carry out and about, at least for those who do not carry a decent sized purse.
- Easy finger and camera interaction, slightly superior to the PC and smartphone alternatives
- Much more expensive than a smart phone, but generally slightly cheaper than a PC
Given this, what is the competitive advantage of a tablet?
- As an e-reader for email, newspapers, books, magazines, and web surfing
- As a gaming device
- As a device for those that cannot easily use a smart phone or PC
In effect, a personal tablet is a consumption device, and not a creation device. A smart phone is portable and easier to integrate into people's lives. A PC has both a mouse and a keyboard, which are both "ancient" technologies, but they have withstood the test of time as highly efficient data input devices. A tablet falls in this reverse "baby bear" space where it is okay but not great at data input and processing, but also not as convenient or cost-efficient as a smart phone. However, touch screen technology is spreading quickly across developed and developing markets as a part of the customer experience, including airlines, medicine, grocers, restaurants, and museums.
So, in which direction are tablet sales heading? If tablet sales include the varying forms of touch screen technology, then tablets are being incorporated as part of the customer experience across nearly every industry. Tablets will become ever more omnipresent and adopted by corporations. However, if a tablet is considered the traditional Apple/Samsung full functioning product, we may have just reached market maturity with more stable growth rates.
What makes a tablet different from similar devices?
- Loads up faster than a computer
- Data input and data interaction is slower than a PC (typing wpm, transfer of files, raw processing power), but faster than a smartphone
- Bigger than a smartphone, so it's easier for those lacking coordination, older, and farsighted, but not quite so large as to lug around a laptop. However, it's still inconvenient to carry out and about, at least for those who do not carry a decent sized purse.
- Easy finger and camera interaction, slightly superior to the PC and smartphone alternatives
- Much more expensive than a smart phone, but generally slightly cheaper than a PC
Given this, what is the competitive advantage of a tablet?
- As an e-reader for email, newspapers, books, magazines, and web surfing
- As a gaming device
- As a device for those that cannot easily use a smart phone or PC
In effect, a personal tablet is a consumption device, and not a creation device. A smart phone is portable and easier to integrate into people's lives. A PC has both a mouse and a keyboard, which are both "ancient" technologies, but they have withstood the test of time as highly efficient data input devices. A tablet falls in this reverse "baby bear" space where it is okay but not great at data input and processing, but also not as convenient or cost-efficient as a smart phone. However, touch screen technology is spreading quickly across developed and developing markets as a part of the customer experience, including airlines, medicine, grocers, restaurants, and museums.
So, in which direction are tablet sales heading? If tablet sales include the varying forms of touch screen technology, then tablets are being incorporated as part of the customer experience across nearly every industry. Tablets will become ever more omnipresent and adopted by corporations. However, if a tablet is considered the traditional Apple/Samsung full functioning product, we may have just reached market maturity with more stable growth rates.
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