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Do You Want A Tablet Computer? Or, Fad Over?
Got your eye on the new iPad Air 2? Maybe Google's new Nexus 9 tablet? Or is the tablet computer boom a thing of the past?
(Google's Nexus 9 tablet computer)
Some industry analysts are starting to wonder. Apparently, It is expected that shipments of all tablets will have increased just seven percent this year, as opposed to a 52% increase in 2013.
...users are hanging on to tablets longer than expected, which is one reason for the slowdown in tablet shipments, IDC said. Tablet refreshes were expected every two to three years, but owners are holding on to devices for three years and longer, IDC said. New software can run on old devices, and there is no compelling reason for tablet owners to upgrade, IDC said.IDC is projecting shipments of Apple’s iPad to be 64.7 million units this year, a decline of 12.7 percent compared to 2013... Android and Windows device shipments, however, are increasing. Shipment of tablets with Android will reach 159.5 million units in 2014, growing by 16 percent.
Science fiction readers waited a long time to get their tablet computers. Fans of the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey got a clear view of a tablet computer right on the film's movie poster.
(Poster from 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey)
Here's what Arthur C. Clarke wrote in his book version 2001: A Space Odyssey about the newspad:
When he tired of official reports and memoranda and minutes, he would plug his foolscap-sized Newspad into the ship's information circuit and scan the latest reports from Earth. One by one he would conjure up the world's major electronic papers; he knew the codes of the more important ones by heart, and had no need to consult the list on the back of his pad...
(Tablet computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey poster)
Personally, I'm still finding new uses for tablet computers, either Nexus or Apple (Android Lollipop or IOS 8) as the case may be.
Via PCWorld.
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