Tag Archives: tablets
Why Use a Laptop When a Tablet Will Do?
Posted on 21. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 
6 Comments
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the advent of the tablet. Sure, much has already been written about the subject, so I’d like to stay away from the normal conversation. I would, of course, like to reference some articles before I delve deeper here, including Devin Coldewey’s article about the coming onslaught of Android slates, as well as Christopher Dawson’s take on the amount of changes he’s seen in a month’s time of more people relying on tablets and smartphones.
I currently use a Dell v13, an $899 ultra light laptop that is loaded with Windows 7 for all of the work I do on this site. Notwithstanding the fact that I had a Dell tech replace the faulty touchpad within a month of purchase and the fact that the graphics capabilities are tethered to the Intel-based chipset, I’m happy with it. But a nagging feeling remains that my current setup is just not optimal. If there were a middle ground between smartphone and laptop that is not Apple based and could give me what I get from the v13, I would happily switch.
The problem with my current laptop is that even though it is light and very mobile, it lacks the “easy-on” that I need. It runs Windows 7, a behemoth that seems to be better suited for desktops or bulky replacements for such. I don’t need all the junk that comes with a Windows OS; I just need something that works. This is not to say I don’t want to tinker, but I would prefer everything be configured from the start, and I’ll mess with what I want to much later on.
I want a tablet; I just don’t want an Apple one. I also am not interested in one that runs Android because that’s for phones, not for computers. Do I need a keyboard? That’s a subjective question, since I do type a lot as a writer but if there is a badass alternative to this antiquated set of Chiclets that I use to communicate then I would be all for it.
What do you think? Is the time for grappling with Windows over? Where is the cloud-based Windows killer we’ve all been looking for?
Microsoft Dominates at Computex
Posted on 01. Jun, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments
So the first day of the Computex computer trade show has come and gone, and I’ve been confronted with a startling revelation: Microsoft really has command of this conference.
I spent a good amount of time today going from manufacturer to manufacturer asking about Chrome OS. While most of them are open to using it, there really seems to be an “in the future” mentality to using any operating system from Google. That also includes Android as well, with the sheer majority of tablets that I saw sporting a touch-enabled Windows 7.
Here is some of the reasons that Microsoft is such a force at Computex.
The Show is for Procurement
People come to Computex to make purchasing decisions for their companies on products that mostly come from Taiwanese manufacturers. As such, they want to see what they are going to be buying over the balance of 2010 and into 2011. Because of this, purchasers are looking at getting devices that run Windows 7 since it is here and now, ready for deployment and/or selling.
Windows 7
Windows 7 was launched not too long ago, and as such Microsoft is making a big push to sell its new operating system. Despite the software climate these days, Redmond still makes a ton of money on selling operating systems that are shipped on new computers. That would partially explain the reasoning behind so many tablets having a Microsoft OS instead of Android. With that being said, there was an open source booth that had some different commercial versions of Linux. I also got a chance to try MeeGo, and I have to say I was impressed with it.
The Microsoft-Manufacturer Connection
One product manager I talked to for a leading manufacturer told me that there are some financial incentives to help them put a display on at Computex if they follow certain standards for showing off Microsoft products. I was a bit surprised by this fact initially, but it makes sense. The relationship between Microsoft and Taiwan manufacturers is very tight-knit whereby Microsoft offers a platform that works with an array of hardware that the manufacturers design and produce for a good price.
Bottom Line
The most intriguing dynamic to all of this is the fact that it was reported by CNET today that new Google employees can no longer choose a Windows solution for their workstations. Future Microsoft implementations at Google will only be for testing purposes, or specially approved. This report, which was rumored but not confirmed until now, comes at the same time we are seeing a boatload of Microsoft-loaded products at Computex.
It will be interesting to see how this may change over the course of the next year, with Google exerting more dominance in the market. This is a telling sign that IT purchasers do not have Google platforms in their sights as of yet.
thechromesource Daily: Links for 5/26/10
Posted on 26. May, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
Google’s Chrome OS user interface design team developer Glen Murphy talks to Lifehacker Australia in a brief Q&A session.
Early adopters are increasingly making a move from using Firefox to Chrome browser, according to an analysis by ReadWriteWeb.
It seems pretty clear that the Chrome Web Store will have applications that run code using Native Client.
An anonymous CEO from a public company tells Business Insider that Microsoft’s Outlook mail client will never be able to compete with Gmail.
Google VP of Engineering Vic Gundotra talks to TechCrunch about location based services and Google’s plans in the tablet market.
thechromesource Daily: Links for 5/25/10
Posted on 25. May, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
There is now a browser add-on for IE, Chrome and Firefox that allows people to opt-out of Google’s Analytics tracking.
The Mac and Linux versions of Chrome browser are catching up to Windows; it was announced today that they have now moved to stable release.
Google Wave has been moved into the Google Apps suite of software for organizations, moving it out of its experimental stage in Labs.
Here’s a look at the challenges that Google TV faces when it enters the market this fall in the U.S. on DISH Network.
Intel will be showing off dedicated chips specifically for tablets at Computex, which starts next week.
Archos Tablet has Android Market Capability, Sort Of
Posted on 27. Apr, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
Lilliputing is reporting that the Archos 5 Internet Tablet, a five inch slate which runs Android, now has a hack that allows users to get access to the Android Market. While we don’t usually post too much news on Android, this nugget seems worthy of a post due to the fact that Google is locking down the app store for its Android device for use only on smartphones.
The general thinking is that Google perhaps has better control over the hardware that is used on smartphones, and therefore allows them to offer a superior experience over other devices that manufacturers have put the Android OS on. We’ve seen some interesting devices sport Android, such as a car, but the problem for manufacturers is without that core application ecosystem Android is just another walled off OS.
So it’s not a far stretch to understand why even though there is a workaround for apps on the Archos Tablet, there still is some functionality problems with it in terms of certain apps. Again, it’s fine in Google’s eyes if you want to develop software for their OS platforms, but the hardware is going to be set to a standard that I think may make some manufacturers rethink their position.
Sure, Android and Chrome OS are free and offer tremendous upside for those wishing to develop for it, but there will be an opportunity cost involved because you have to work with Google’s highly set standards. This is probably good for users in the long run, however.
Why Put Android on a Tablet? Convenience
Posted on 12. Apr, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 8 Comments
I’m a tad concerned here about the speculation that Google is going to release a tablet to compete with Apple that is loaded with Android. The understanding has been that Android would be the operating system for devices that have a maximum screen size of around five inches, but since the New York Times has put out a story saying Eric Schmidt is boasting that there is a Google tablet in the works running Android, there isn’t much I can say to refute that claim.
Android, much like the iPhone OS, already has a built-in applications store called Android Market. Having an inventory of applications ready-made for a tablet would be a great idea to compete with Apple, but something more compelling than that needs to be done to try to go up against the iPad. Perhaps maybe this device will be an innovative e-reader that is specifically for media – perhaps not as big as Apple’s tablet so that it is a bit easier to tote around.
This could also be an indication that Chrome OS is going to take longer than expected to reach a mature development cycle. Remember, Android was first announced back in 2007, and didn’t reach a stage where manufacturers started producing a slew of smartphones until late last year.
Also interesting to note is the fact that Google only supports the Android Market for smartphones right now, so any Google-branded tablet would get first dibs on a profit-rich application market for tablets. This information can be found from the “Available Devices” section of the Android Developers Guide.
It’s really anyone’s guess what may happen. Google wants to have a device out as soon as possible in order to fully compete with what will be a wide array of tablets that are expected to arrive in the very near future.
Gmail Web App for iPad is Announced
Posted on 03. Apr, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments
Yesterday Google announced a special version of Gmail on its mobile blog, a version that utilizes HTML5 in order to optimize the experience for iPad users. All anyone with the Apple tablet needs to do is head over to gmail.com and they will see their email in a format that best uses a tablet’s functionality:
You’ll notice that incoming emails are pushed off to one side, while selected messages are shown in a main column to the right. Also, the buttons in the application are sized for touch. This interface was actually first developed for smartphone users to be able to use Gmail, and has been ported to this new version designed for a tablet.
What is interesting to note is that instead of using an App Store-type of strategy for Gmail on the iPad, Google has gone ahead with their web app methodology. That’s because Google is more interested in allowing open content on the web as opposed to Apple’s strategy of creating a controlled, as some call “walled garden” approach. Indeed, there are other Google services readily available on the iPad such as YouTube and Maps.
With that being said, Google does have the Google Mobile App in the App Store, first released for the iPhone and available for the iPad if users are interested in voice search.
Nevertheless having more services that are strictly web-enabled allows Google to be more prevalent in all platforms – and will help them push their own initiatives for their own platform which will promote applications that are easily used on the web with no other software need that what a user already has.
