Tablet PCs
A tablet PC is a small, touch screen device that is usually rectangular in shape.
Tablets contain few if any device connection ports ( such as USB ports) and so usually contain a wide range of integrated components, including:
- touch sensitive screen ( to replace mouse / keyboard / screen)
- speaker
- microphone
- camera
- battery
- Network connectivity ( Wifi / Bluetooth / 4G)
- A number of sensors, including – Direction sensor, tilt sensor, shake sensor.
Uses of Tablet PCs
- Tablet PCs were originally designed for casuals / business users to supplement their desktop and laptop machines, however rapid improvements in terms of processing speed, software availability and built quality have meant that many people are now choosing to replace their home desktop / laptop machines with tablet pcs.
- They are also very popular with small children and non IT-literate people, due to their intuitive designs and simple operating systems.
- Tablets are increasingly popular in restaurants and other commercial environments replacing pens and paper systems.
Advantages
- Very light and portable – easy to take with you when travelling
- Great for use in bed / on the sofa
- Long battery life ( up to 10 hours)
- Many connectivity options to increase their usefulness ( e.g. casting a screen to a tv/monitor)
- Can be used as a GPS device for satellite navigation
Disadvantages
- Easy to steal
- No mouse/keyboard makes them of limited use to power users.
- Difficult to repair
- Almost impossible to upgrade a component.
- Not compatible with a wide range of business and legacy software.