Active MembersTodayLast 7 Daysmore... |
Resources » Articles/Knowledge Sharing » Computer & Technology
All about Tablet devices - history, future and different tablet devices of this generation
This article gives a complete information on tablet devices, history of tablets, the important components which make a tablet, the app ecosystem and its future. Here in this article one will find a detailed description of the different types of tablets available in the market including Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Motorola Xoom and even economical devices like Micromax Funbook, Aakash, HCL ME X1 and many more with exact specifications and some noteworthy features.
|
Introduction
The only thing in our lives which if closely noticed, has changed rapidly over the years, setting new milestones again and again and has simplified the way of leading a life of humans, then that only thing is technology. Starting from computers that took the size of a room to the modern days handheld computing, technology has certainly changed the whole scenario of computers and their usability.
One of such technologies, which has become the talk of the town now, is the new form of computers called Tablet PCs. Tablets priced economically are generally termed as budget tablets and are neatly priced under Rs.10, 000 and others range from Rs.15, 000 to Rs.35, 000. Most people think this tablet culture came into existence in this generation only, but actually it date backs to ancient times of the 1960's when Alan Kay pioneered the idea of such a device called DynaBook. He visioned it to function as a 'personal computer for all ages' and was intended to be a learning aid for children.
From here the idea of handheld computing came into existence and was implemented eons later.
History of tablets
Some of the worthy ancestors to today's tablets are catalogued below:
GRiDPad:GRiDPad was a product from the GRiD Systems stable and for that time, it had the hardware to lust for, boasting a 20MHz 80C86 processor, 2MB of RAM, 120MB of storage, a backlit VGA display and provided up to 2-3 hours of battery backup. The GRiDPad measured weighed 4.5 pounds and unlike any futuristic OS like Android or iOS, the device sported MS-DOS as the proprietary Operating System. For its time, this device was meant for the upper class people and tech enthusiasts. This invention later paved the way for more powerful tablet PCs with more capability and reliability.
Windows XP Tablet:Windows Xp Tablet was invented by a partnership between GO and Microsoft. An OS having the advantage of the pen-based input systems was built by GO Computing. It also had the asset of dual booting with either GO's own OS or Windows OS. Later teaming up with Microsoft, the Windows XP Tablet came into being. This device was fairly capable of doing the job it was built for and supported handwriting recognition feature.
Apple's MessagePad:It is true that Apple iPad was not the first tablet from this computing giant, as way earlier they had introduced this concept but had failed to make an impact. The reason for not being accepted was due to the fact that the device was far ahead of its time. This tablet was targeted towards a group of people mainly professionals, doctors, designers, etc. The screen supported stylus input and had a good collection of productivity applications like notes, calendar, alarm, calculator, unit converter, document reader, spreadsheet presentation and other useful programs. A special kind of database called 'soups' was used to store data and these databases or soups could be shared between applications. Many negative points and its steep price, around $800, made it a flop and soon the production of these devices came to a halt in 1993.
Tablets de-mystified
Nowadays tablets resemble like a solid block of metal of few centimeters thick, sporting a full touch screen. These touch screens are generally of LCD/LED/AMOLED/SUPER AMOLED/Gorilla glass/Retina display, both capacitive or resistive. Resistive screens generally require a stylus to operate as they are not so smooth as compared to capacitive screens, which responds to your skin touch and allow multi-touch. For this, prices also differ, capacitive costing more than resistive. Generally tablets come without any hardware keyboard but companies provide it for an extra money. The tablets now also provide guesture-based controlling, a new way to operate your device without even touching the screen. For example, waving your hand to the right, keeping a little distance above the screen can end an incoming call or open up a new program, or as it will be programmed to perform.
These computers of the current generation, are capable of doing any work which a moderately configured laptop will be able to do, and some devices also support telephoning; generally a Bluetooth headset is required for this purpose. Mostly all these PCs have a 3.5mm universal jack, one or two USB slots, SIM card slot, flash card slot and HDMI port. Some sport hardware keys while some have feather touch keys especially for going back and home buttons. A rear camera is also present along with a front facing camera, often a VGA camera for video calling. They come with WiFi, Bluetooth facilities and some are also 3G capable. Some manufacturers produce devices made of solid plastic or aluminum metal. Metal bounded devices look classy but tend to heat up after prolong usage while plastic buit tablets look a bit cheap. These computers mainly run on Android platform, some running on Windows OS and the iPad running on Apple's own iOS. These devices are powered by processors like A8 or A9 Cotex which gives a clock speed of 1GHz or more. It is enough for a tablet to do the daily works like surfing, viewing videos, playing games and using applications. Till now, most of the tablets have not more than 1GB of RAM, but experts say, the future devices would be capable of running on more than 2GB of RAM. Tablet PCs USP lies in portability, ease of use, internet surfing, video viewing, browsing e-books and use of applications.
The heart of tablet PC
The heart of the tablet lies in the operating system it runs on. Android is the most preferred platform for the tablet makers. The present version of the software is Android 4.0, code named Ice Cream Sandwich. All new tablets irrespective of their pricing ships in with this OS as it suits tablet configuration the best. Though, there are some arguments on the topic that Android 3.0, code named Honecomb, is still the best choice for the platform to operate on. The Android Marketplace has more than 400,000 applications to download from, the majority of them being free of cost. Games such as Angry Birds, antivirus app like AVG and productivity apps like Evernote are some noteworthy apps which have been downloaded over a billion times. Android is a product from Google and right from the onset, the openness of Android is one of its most consequential strongpoints. Android in India has gained much importance after Indian companies like Micromax, Karbonn and Reliance showed interest in tablet business. Reliance has entered into an approval with Google to industrialize the Android brand in India along with 3G data plans and data usage. Google is nearly over with their new Android version 5.0, code named Jelly Bean which is slated to release at the end of 2012.
iOS is specifically only for Apple iPads.The user interface is the iPad's metier and the OS successfully controls the ecosystem of its hardware, content, services and applications and makes it smooth to work with. The iTunes store which is a replica of the Android Marketplace stores a humongous number of apps pertaining to numerous categories. Talking about computers, how can Microsoft's Windows be left behind? Only a few tablets debuted with the Windows OS and it did not work out well as expected. It lost completely to its arch rivals - iOS and Android. But with the recent update, called Windows Mango v7.5, it regained its throne in the operating system war. Windows Mango is hailed as the best mobile OS produced by Microsoft till date. But according to Microsoft they are coming with a new OS, the Windows 8 which promises to be the best for tablet computing. Very high expectations are there from Windows 8 as its consumer preview version for the desktop PC, has won many accolades for its stunning GUI, a complete change from the boring windows explorer. The Windows Store contains apps for both Mango and Windows 8 operating systems, written in any language, be it C++, Python, Pizza or Javascript and for the time being its looking very strong app-wise. Another player in this category is the QNX operating system from RIM's stable. This OS is dedicated for the PlayBook and focuses on multi-tasking and gesture based controls. It has sleek and easy to use interface which can be customized to your needs and App Store hosts a few interesting apps targeted mainly towards the professional and corporate use.
Different tablet PCs of this era
There is no doubt that it was Apple, under Steve Jobs, which re-introduced the tablet phenomenon to the world on April 2010, selling over 300,000 units on the day of launch and touching 3 million in 80 days. Apple being in the forefront of this genre, won them the first spot in this category, to which they still retain.
It has the perfect style and looks and a hardware configuration which makes video watching, browsing web pages, multi-tasking a breeze. The device ran the famous iOS which has a huge collection of different apps. These apps have many uses, like there are applications dedicated to edit and read documents, spreadsheets, some are for playing games which even support motion sensing, optimizing the PC, video editing, audio editing, image editing, graphics designing, antivirus suites, privacy concerned apps and much more.
Soon after the launch of Apple iPads and sighting its brobdingnagian profit, a slew of tablets from a number of companies started making its way into the market.
Starting from novice companies like Olive, Beetel, Mercury, Notion Ink, iBall to biggies like HTC, HCL, Samsung, RIM, Asus, Sony, Motorola, Acer, all have contributed to the tablet production. There are indigenous companies too, which have revealed their devices like Reliance 3G Tab, Micromax Funbook and Karbonn Smart Tab. Recently Indian government also showcased its own tablet named Aakash Tablet, which would be primarily sold to a number of engineering colleges in India which is priced at a mere Rs.2000 only and boasts of the tag of being the world's cheapest tablet.
High-end tablets
There are quite a handful number of tablets which offer top class performance and looks that would make you weak in your knees. Initially all the tablets tried to be the best among others but only one could taste victory. Here is a list of high-end tablet devices which delivers style and performance with detailed specifications:
1. Apple iPad: iPad's success can be estimated by its profit chart and its various generations available in the market, the present being the third generation, commonly called iPad 3.
The key features of the current iPad i.e. the iPad3 are as follows:
Display: 9.7-inch, 2048x1536 Retina display, scratch resistant, capacitive touchscreen having 264 pixels per inch
Weight: It weighs around 651 grams.
Storage Capacity: It comes with the option of 16/32/64GB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP, USB 2.0
Camera and Camcorder: 5MP rear camera which has features like geo-tagging, auto-focus, smile-detection, tap to focus, face-detection. Front facing VGA camera for video calling. Full HD video recording (1080p).
Operating System: iOS 5.1
Chipset: Apple A5X
Central Processing Unit (CPU): 1GHz quad-core A9-Cortex
RAM: 1GB RAM
Browser: In-built Safari browser
Sensors: Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Digital compass
Colour options: Black and White
Battery: 42.5 watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery, giving fuel up to 10 hours
2. Samsung Galaxy Tab 2: This tablet belongs to the highly successful Galaxy series of Samsung and has proved out to be one of the best tablets available now. If there is any tablet which competes headlong with the iPad, then it is the Galaxy Tab.
Some of the key features of the Samsung Tab are as follows:
Display: It sports a 10.1-inch capacitive LCD touch screen, boasting of a 1280x800 pixel resolution having 149 ppi pixel density.
Weight: It weighs around 565 grams.
Storage Capacity: It comes with the option of 16/32/64GB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP, USB 2.0
Camera and Camcorder: 3.15MP rear camera having multiple options like geo-tagging, auto-focus, smile-detection, tap to focus, face-detection. Front facing camera is of 2MP especially for video calling.
Operating System: Android 4.0.3
Chipset: TI OMAP 4430
Central Processing Unit (CPU): 1GHz Dual-core NVIDIA Tegra2 Processor
RAM: 1GB RAM
Browser: In-built Android browser
Colour options: Black and White
Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Digital compass
Battery: 7000 mAh battery
Location: Turn by turn navigation by Google Maps
3. Motorola Xoom: Once Xoom was touted to be one tablet that would steal Apple's throne in the tablet industry. Well, it failed to do so, but carved out its own place in this segment. It is priced somewhat lower than the iPad.
Some of the key features of Motorola Xoom are as follows:
Display: It sports a 10.1-inch HD-IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, with 1280x800 pixels resolution having 149 pixels per inch.
Weight: The WiFi enabled device weighs around 708 grams and the 4G LTE version weighs around 730 grams.
Storage Capacity: It comes with the option of 16/32/64GB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, GPRS, Class 12 EDGE, microUSB 2.0
Camera and Camcorder: 5MP rear camera which has features like geo-tagging, auto-focus, smile-detection, tap to focus, face-detection. It also has a 2MP front facing camera and also has Dual LED flash.
Operating System: Android 3.2 (Upgradeable to v4.0)
Chipset: TI OMAP 4430
Central Processing Unit (CPU): 1GHz dual-core A9-Cortex
RAM: 1GB RAM
Browser: In-built Android browser
Colour options: Black
Sensors:Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Barometer
Battery: 24 watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery, giving fuel up to 10 hours
Location: Turn by turn navigation with Google Maps, A-GPS
4. Asus Transformer Prime: This tablet was the first to run a quad core processor and thus got the limelight. This is a powerhouse of speed and multi-tasking and beats all the other tablets in respect of performance.
The key features of the tablet are as follows:
Display: It sports a 10.1-inch Super IPS capacitive Gorilla glass touch screen, with more than 10 finger multi-touch.
Weight: The weight of the tablet is around 586 grams.
Storage Capacity: It is available for 32GB / 64GB, EMMC + 8GB life time ASUS WebStorage (Cloud storage)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP + EDR
Camera and Camcorder: 8MP Auto focus rear camera with flash, geo-tagging, auto-focus, smile-detection, tap to focus, face-detection / F2.4 large aperture and a 1.2MP front camera.
Operating System: Android 3.2 (Upgradeable to v4.0)
Chipset: Nvidia Tegra 3
Central Processing Unit (CPU): 1.3 GHz Quad-core processor
RAM: 1GB RAM
Browser: In-built Android browser
Colour options: Black
Sensors:Accelerometer, G-Sensor, Light sensor, E-compass.
Battery: 25Wh Li-polymer Battery giving power up to 12 hours.
Location: A-GPS
5. BlackBerry Playbook: A device totally dedicated to the corporate is here and the essence of professionalism can be felt, inch to inch from this tablet. This is the only tablet which runs the QNX based operating system, the present version being 2.0.
The tablet bores the following features:
Display: It sports a 7-inch LCD capacitive touch screen with 1024x600 resolution with 170 ppi pixel density.
Weight: The weight of the tablet is around 425 grams.
Storage Capacity: It is available for 16GB/32GB/64GB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, microUSB, microHDMI port.
Camera and Camcorder: 5MP rear camera which has features like geo-tagging, auto-focus, smile-detection, tap to focus, face-detection. It also has 3MP front facing camera. One of those tablets which offers an astounding front camera quality.
Operating System: BlackBerry Tablet OS (QNX)
Chipset: TI OMAP 4430
Central Processing Unit (CPU): 1GHz Dual-core processor
RAM: 1GB RAM
Browser: In-built BlackBerry browser and supports HTML5
Colour options: Black
Sensors:Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Digital compass (magnetometer)
Battery: 5300 mAh battery powering upto nearly 10 hours
Location: GPS enabled
Budget tablets
Budget tablets are generally priced below Rs.10,000 in the Indian market, but cannot be left behind as these too delivers the performance and quality that you can ask for normal computing. Like high-end tablets, here also, there is a huge number of tablet PCs making their way into the market and only a few have been able to make a mark. A detailed description on some of the tablets are as follows:
1. Micromax Funbook: This device especially aims for the students segment of the society, with a motto of 'In exam, your boy will pass, and time-pass also'. This is a sturdy and well built device sporting a 7" screen and running Android 4.0, available only for Rs.6499. It is the cheapest Android ICS tablet around also performs well due to the presence of a 1.2GHz processor and 512MB RAM. It is multi-functional device which provides with apps, games, gesture sensing, editing documents, surfing the net and many more tons of features which makes it worth buying.
2. Aakash 2: The cheapest tablet in the universe is produced and marketed by the government of India and is simpler looking and working features. The screen is a resistive one, runs Android 2.2 and has a comparatively larger screen than Micromax and also solidly built. Two USB ports are there with 2GB of internal flash memory and can be extended to 32GB. The battery life is good for normal use and 700MHz processor can tackle operations smoothly. To succumb all the shortcomings of this tablet, a commercial tablet will also be launched soon enough, named Ubislate 7+. Though its second generation will be priced above its predecessor but that also at around Rs.3500, which is extremely less, compared to the tablets available to us.
3. Reliance 3G Tab: The tablet delivers good performance and is highly reliable, being a product of Reliance. It runs an old version of Android 2.3.4, but an upgrade is expected. It operates on an 800Mhz processor with 512MB RAM and the most interesting thing is that, you can make and receive phone calls from this device. The device sports a 7-inch display with a basic 800x480 pixel resolution. There is a 2MP camera which clicks decent photos and the battery life is excellent, running continuously for two days with average usage. The tablet comes with its own 3G data schemes with the option of postpaid and prepaid.
4. Notion Ink Adam: The modish looks of the tablet leaves you spellbound at the very first glance. The second thing which will attract you is the neat user-interface tweaked by Notion Ink over the Android platform, even though running Android v2.2. It promises an update for the Honeycomb version, but still delivers all the good with the features it bores. Very light at 350 grams only and comes with 2 USB slots, internal memory of 2GB, 256MB RAM and a 1GHz Dual-core Tegra 250 processor. The 7" screen is unique as it ships with Pixel Qi screen and that even with a matte finish, saving battery to an extent. The camera is of 3.2MP camera and even though it clicks decent pictures, the best thing is that, the device has only one camera acting as a rear as well as a front camera, due to its swivel function and automatically flips the image when it detects which way is up.
5. Mercury mTab Neo2: This trendy looking tablet is from Mercury, a leading computer hardware company. The tablet is very well built, that is if dropped, there is no need to worry. It scores high with the 1.2GHz Dual-core processor which in turn helps for a smooth playback of 1080p HD videos without any cliches. The surprising thing is that, the capacitive touch screen is a very good one and supports multi-touch. The on-screen keyboard is easy to type on and also packs in a SIM card slot, which is very witty. The viewing angles are a bit disturbing but nonetheless offers good visuals. It runs on the Android 3.0 OS and the 4000mAh battery gives enough fuel to run the device for 5 to 6 hours long, with average usage. It is priced a little high for what it delivers but still you will not regret buying it.
6. HCL ME X1: This HCL ME X1 tablet is unexcelled for gamers as the screen is packed with a good resolution and with great viewing angles. The device offers extraordinary limpidity to purview all your pictures and videos. It gasconades the price tag of only Rs.10000, offering features like GPS, internet connectivity, editing documents, executing applications and much more. The battery life serves well and can last one and a half day with moderate usage. The look is kept simple with a colour combination of black and silver.
Conclusion
Tablets are now the new revolution in computer world and still work is in progress to make it more accessible to the people and simplifying our lives more. We definitely cannot say it has overtaken the desktops or the laptops but surely will replace notebooks or nettops in near future. There are a whole lot of chances for improvement and career options in this field and has already started to make an impact in the common lives of people and as well as the IT market. Apart from the above stated tablets, there are many more and also new upcoming ones like Vodafone Smart Tab, Microsoft Surface Windows 8, Toshiba Thrive, Asus Padfone, LG Optimus Pad, ZTE Light, Sony Vaio U, etc. A whole lot of scope and life are left in the case of tablets and it is sure to make more milestones in the future, as this is just the beginning.
|
Read related articles: Tablet PC
Did you like this resource? Share it with your friends and show your love!
|
|
| Author: rahulduddd 08 Jul 2012 | Member Level: Bronze Points : 0 | Wow, nice article. Indeed very helpful.
|
|
|