Pads are continuing to march upon our homes although not at the speed I first anticipated. The iPad is still regarded as an expensive toy by many. Certainly £400 is a considerable expense but it wasn’t long ago that spending over £800 on a desktop or laptop computer wasn’t an issue.
The ‘new iPad’ is certainly a jump forward although not as ground breaking as it might have been. The new screen resolution is certainly amazing as I saw for myself over the weekend when comparing my iPad2 with the new version. Read a quick comparison of the two models here at IT Pro.
Pads are good
Whilst pads are certainly no replacement for a standard computer, they do 90% of what most people want ever do sitting at home in their armchairs. The fact that pads make no noise whatsoever is a major benefit. I recently used my laptop at home and my wife was quick to moan about the incessant whirring of the fan (kicking in every 10 minutes).
Android inadequacies
I’m still not convinced that Android alternatives are enticing enough. Every Android device seems to look and feel slightly different from another. This isn’t helped by the persistent ’skinning’ of the operating system by the manufacturers. This itself suggests that they don’t believe Android does a good enough job.
The ability to update the operating system seems fraught. There are heightened security concerns, with apps (software) having little quality checking (in contrast to the fairly strict Apple vetting of apps).
All of these things combine to cause natural apprehension and subsequently the onslaught of pads isn’t happening as fast.
But the arrival of Windows 8 (heralding the arrival of the Windows tablet) could change all of that. If nothing else, it will put the focus firmly back on tablets yet again (just in time for Christmas no doubt).