Yes

by Shawn Dobbs

Created on: October 10, 2011

Will tablets replace the PC?  I had to face this question recently when I was contemplating whether I should buy a tablet or a laptop for the upcoming school year.  I went back and forth for weeks, researching current and upcoming tablets and features before I finally decided on the laptop.  This may seem contradictory to my position stated here.  I do believe that tablets will replace the PC in the near future, but they have not for now.  There are a few key features that tablets lack at the present time to make them a more attractive option than a laptop or even a netbook.  These are the issues I'll address here, and explain how the tablet industry is working to overcome these obstacles and eventually replace the PC entirely.

First is the way that tablets are marketed and optimized.  Currently, tablets are sold as an entertainment product, and even new tablets such as the Kindle Fire have done nothing to change this image.  It's true-a tablet makes a great entertainment device.  It is portable, compatible with new technologies, and integrated very well with features such as Netflix, Google Music, the various app stores, and gaming giants such as Gameloft and Nvidia.  The aforementioned Kindle Fire takes this entertainment focus to a new extreme, with instant access to Amazon's huge selection of books, movies, TV shows, games, magazines, and virtually any other entertainment venue one could think of.  In order to truly replace the PC, tablets will have to show how they can be a viable option for businesses and professionals as well as gamers and casual users.

Many professionals shy away from tablets for one of three reasons: a lack of business software, low storage capacity, and a perceived lack of security.  The problem of not having enough business software is due mainly to the tablet's image as an entertainment device.  If tablet makers were to shift the image of their products, developers might follow suit in creating apps and software geared towards professionals.  We are already seeing a small amount of development in this area, with programs such as Googledocs, Office software on Windows phones, and especially in stocks and finances.  There are numerous banking, stock, and finance apps that are visually pleasing, as we've become accustomed to with tablet apps, and extremely useful and practical.  This might be a place to start for developers to figure out how to create a business app for tablets.  A "professional tablet" maker might also consider using built-in software for business tools rather than apps, which can be perceived as unsecured software.

The problem of storage is already being addressed at a rapid pace.  Recently a 128 GB SD card was released by Lexar media, and as more manufacturers begin turning out these products they will become more and more affordable with more and more storage space.  The explosion of cloud technology has made finding room for media as simple as uploading to the cloud.  Before business professionals would take advantage of the cloud, some major security and privacy issues would have to be addressed.  The best option for tablet makers right now is to invest in, promote, and create a demand for 128GB, and even larger, SD cards.

The security issue is one that may take some more work.  The same types of security measures that are commonplace in laptops and desktops are simply not available for tablets.  This is not to say that tablets aren't safe.  There are award winning security apps for tablets, such as Lookout Mobile Security, but until tablets are shipped with built-in security functions that are well tested, documented, and publicized, this may well be the most difficult area for tablet makers to overcome in making a tablet for the businessman.

The last thing that will have to become standard for the tablet to fully replace the PC is compatibility with a keyboard dock.  The Asus Slider and Transformer have got this down pat, marketing their tablets with a keyboard dock.  Though many users don't know it, the iPad2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 both have available keyboard docks.  Especially for writers and corporate folks, this is a must.  No matter how good the onscreen keyboard, it will never compare to the speed and ease of a physical keyboard.  With these issues addressed, and indeed they are being addressed as we speak, the tablet has nowhere to go but up, and will eventually become the downfall of the PC.

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