Bye Bye netbooks. Tablets are the new hot item to have. The question is, should you buy one now? That question is even more important if you are thinking of using them in your business.
Short answer..Wait
There are a bunch of new players in the tablet arena. iPads, Android based devices (Motorola Xoom), and even RiM, the makers of the blackberry, are getting in on the action. Then there are the countless others such as Acer, Asus, HP, Dell, Toshiba, and Sony. As a business or a consumer choosing the right one is a daunting task. Prices can range from $400 – $1,200 so making the wrong decision can be costly.
As with any new technology a few things will happen over the next few months. Some tablets will fail, and be pulled from the market. Prices will fall, and the 2nd and 3rd generation will be released. We’re in the middle of the first generation which means, as a business owner, you should wait.
The second generation of Android based devices and 3rd generation of iPads should be coming out in the September / October time frame to take advantage of the back to school rush and ramp up before Christmas. This is a good time to reevaluate the purchase of a tablet. New, more powerful processors will be coming out (2x as fast),4G support will be more widely available, devices will be lighter, and bugs will have been fixed. Also, if you are thinking about an Android based tablet, more applications should be available by then.
Over the next few months I will have more articles on tablets. The next one will focus on how to best utilize them in a business setting (besides playing Angry Birds on them).
-Tim
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Esther Griswold
Bruce DelleChiaie
Andrew Hegarty
Lisa Wollaston
