ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 1

Advantages of Multi-touch Tablet Devices in the Workplace

Nicholas Block

Jeroen Barendse

Rene Hernandez

Alan Orther

Eric Moreno

California State University San Marcos

ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 2

In the field of information technology the product life cycle is extremely short. For example, a device such as the Motorola Razr that was popular only a few short years ago, is no longer considered a leader in the field of cellular communications. Tablet computers are the newest, hottest item to hit the market in recent times and are poised to fundamentally change the way that businesses are using computers by connecting them in a way that can streamline operations by increasing mobility.

According to PC magazine, a is, “A general-purpose computer contained in a single panel. Its distinguishing characteristic is the use of a touch screen as the input device.

Modern tablets are operated by fingers, whereas earlier tablets required a stylus.” Apple’s iPad was not the first tablet to hit the market, but the most popular and easiest to use. Additionally, it was responsible for creating the current market for tablets today. Earlier tablets, like ’s

Tablet PC were built to run on low-power processors (Page, 2000). They were also not the streamlined devices that we know today. Current tablets use what is called multi-touch technology, or a type of surface that can detect two points of contact (3M Touch Sysems Inc.,

2009). An integrated laptop mouse uses the same technology. Microsoft’s Tablet PC was the beginning of mobile computing in its tablet form, and Microsoft’s response to WebPad, a mobile

Linux device (Page, 2000). Many tablet manufacturers still use a Linux based called Android.

Tablets are still early in their lifecycle, with the iPad only coming on the market in

January of 2010 (Kim, 2010). Far from maturity, tablet computer sales are forecasted to take up

17.5% of the PC sales market in 2011 (Arthur, 2011). Tablets are still growing strong, with

Amazon introducing their brand of tablet, the Kindle Fire, on November 15th, 2011. HP is also re-entering the game after their tablet the failed (Haselton, 2011). HP plans on ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 3

releasing the Slate 2 in late November (HP Slate 2 Release Date, 2011). Other competitors are following suit; most of the major PC device manufacturers have their own multi-touch devices.

Tablets can offer many advantages to a variety of users. For instance, the tablet has opened up a whole new world of possibilities by allowing gamers to touch the virtual environment they are playing in (Advantages to Using a Tablet PC, 2011). Tablets are not just for fun though. There are many different industries that stand to benefit from implementing tablet computers. Some of the areas where tablets are becoming popular are the educational, information technology (IT), medical, and automobile industries. Even the NFL has begun implementing tablets! In the educational industry, students can find a multitude of uses for this fun and powerful device. With the IT industry relying entirely on the advancement of technologies, tablets are an obvious investment. For the medical field, doctors and patients are given access to a vast amount of information at their fingertips. Car dealerships are using the mobility of the tablet to keep their sales records, growing customer satisfaction by increasing transparency. With cars increasingly implementing computer technologies, manufacturers are following the trend by adding accessories for tablets in their automobiles. And in the NFL, coaches and players have begun substituting their paper playbooks and DVD’s with tablets, and fans can access live games and records. The tablet offers unique advantages for each of these industries. To comprehend how and why these industries have invested in tablets, understanding some of the capabilities of tablets both technologically and economically, is crucial.

Furthermore, once this understanding is conveyed, and each of these five industries decision to use tablets has been revealed, a general recommendation can be made.

Tablets offer a distinct advantage that could be applied to almost any consumer, including businesses. Tablets are fully integrated with the cloud, the latest IT trend to take flight. The ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 4

tablets small storage space and ease of portability is perfectly complimented by its cloud capabilities. Some tablet manufacturers, like , even offer space on their “Cloud Drive” for Kindle Fire users to store information. With solutions like this, tablet functionality increases exponentially, because data stored in the cloud can be accessed from anywhere, linking the tablet to other computing devices.

Even American retailers are attempting to enter the tablet market by offering cheap alternatives to the devices that are already on the market. CVS, a major drug store and pharmacy in the United States is offering a $99 Sylvania tablet, though according to a review on The

Digital Reader, “It’s JUNK. This is most definitely a crapperjack* tablet” (Hoffelder, 2011). The review stated that the tablet hardware itself was very poorly designed, and though the software seemed to work well, the hardware issues are enough to take this tablet out of the running. With the holiday season coming up and many new lower cost tablet options on the market, it is likely shoppers are going to gravitate towards these devices.

To gain a general understanding of tablet capabilities, for both personal and professional use, Nicholas Block conducted an interview with Kevin Sather, Sr. Regional Product Manager for Sony. The interview focuses specifically on Sony tablets. Kevin’s job entails taking Sony products that have already been released in Japan and tweaking them to fit the American market.

Kevin’s team acts a conduit for the Japanese/American cultural divide.

Sony was one of the last companies in the industry to introduce a tablet. Over the last year, 2011, Kevin had met with colleagues in Tokyo to discuss the release of Sony’s first two tablets, the S1 and S2. The S1 is now available for purchase, but the S2 is yet to be released. As ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 5

Kevin described, “we wanted to wait and see how our competitors faired with their release of a tablet, and adjust accordingly.”

The S1 and S2 share a lot in common with competing tablets, but offer additional services and quality that can’t be found elsewhere. Sony’s website contains a link that compares the benefits of the S1 and Apple’s iPad. As this link showed, the Sony Tablet S (S1) is the only honeycomb tablet with a built in Universal IR Remote. It has a full sized SD card slot, meaning that no adapters are needed to transfer data. The S1 supports Flash, stereo speakers with Clear

Phase and xLoud technologies, and games. This tablet is PlayStation certified and pre-loaded with classic PlayStation titles; you can download and play PSP, PSone and Android market games. Additionally, the S1 has TruBlack LED display for high contrast, more vibrant colors and deeper blacks. The 16:9 widescreen is optimized for movies with its 1280x800 resolution. It has a mini-USB port built-in, “Exmor for mobile” 5MP camera which takes beautiful pictures even in low-light, and a wrap-around design that shifts the tablet’s weight to an individual’s palm, making it feel lighter. The S1 also shares videos and photos on a TV with no adapter required as long as the TV has DLNA compatibility.

Yet, while both the S1 and S2 are targeted for personal use, both can be applied towards business, and the features that separate these models can both aid and hinder employers. As

Kevin illustrated, “Some of the features of our tablets can increase efficiency, while others may distracts employees from staying on task. The full sized SD card slot allows for data transfer with no adapters, which can greatly increase efficiency for professionals. More importantly, like other tablets, Sony has access to the android apps market, which has numerous applications that can aid various businesses. Conversely, the S1 is PlayStation certified and pre-loaded with ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 6

classic games like Crash Bandicoot.” This disadvantage is not new, personal computers, laptops and ’s all have the capability to distract workers with games and the internet.

Unfortunately, Sony is yet to release a fully business oriented tablet. For now the S1 and

S2 are for both personal and business use. Some of the features that could be seen as distractions could be used for increasing efficiency depending on the industry that uses them. As Kevin purports, “some of the advanced features on our tablet that typically would be seen as a distraction, could be used by select industries for business purposes. For example, our built in

Universal IR remote, the TruBlack LED display, and the 5MP camera are all advantages for the media industry.” Additionally, the S2 which is yet to be released is a two piece tablet that folds up and can easily fit in a pocket, purse or bag.

Kevin owns both an S1 and S2 prototype, and uses both for his career. Having to travel constantly, specifically to Tokyo Japan, Sony’s tablets work perfectly for the on the go work and entertainment that Kevin requires. As Kevin puts it, “The tablet is the perfect tool for on the go work, it is essentially a hybrid of a smart phone and laptop. Prior to the introduction of a tablet, the consumer had two choices, either carry around a heavy bulky laptop and hope that Wi-Fi is available, or carry a smart phone that has built in Wi-Fi but a screen so small that it is difficult to work on.” The solution is simple, get a tablet.

Out of the many industries that stand to gain from the implementation of tablet computers, the educational industry is on the forefront. Given that students enjoy exploring new technologies, tablets are poised to become the newest big development in the way that students learn. For a student that is constantly mobile, a tablet is much more convenient to use than a laptop. The start-up time is quicker and the battery life is typically longer on a tablet. In the coming years there will be an increase in the number of tablet users in the academic field. ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 7

According to Mashable, a tech review website, there are six reasons that tablets should be used in the classroom (Madan, 2011). The first is that tablets are the best way for students to view textbooks. Some argue that with the ability to highlight, make notes, and copy and paste information directly from PDF or files, tablets are better suited for students and teachers than standard textbooks. Tablets also offer unprecedented connectivity to the web and by integrating links into textbooks, students have access to the wealth of information the World

Wide Web provides. This information can be accessed with just the click of a mouse, or in the case of a tablet, the tap of a finger.

The second reason that tablets are ready for the classroom is that the classroom is ready for them. The current student demographic, generation new millennium, is very familiar with touch screen technology and the instantaneous access of information on the Internet due to their place in the technological revolution. Widespread use of the Smartphone and tablets has only increased their comprehension. Due to their timely startup and light weight design, tablets are also very appealing to academics. They can take the tablet to every class, and have any number of textbooks downloaded. Without all that textbook weight, walking to class becomes less cumbersome. Tablets are also offering students software that takes advantage of classroom activities. According to the Mashable website, tablets allow full functionality when accessing online classroom resources such as Blackboard, as well as offering a myriad of apps that can increase educational productivity and have a positive effect on a students learning experience.

In some developing countries like India, various companies are working on developing an even cheaper tablet for underprivileged children to use in their classrooms (Poeter, 2011).

According to an article in PCMag.com, the tablet in India will be a “barebones” tablet that will be similar in size to Amazon’s Kindle Fire (Poeter, 2011). India’s Education Ministry plans to ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 8

hand out these inexpensive tablets to university students. Yet, aside from India, there is a larger market for a $50 tablet. According to the PCMag article, “Amazon is spending $87 just on display and touch screen hardware for each Kindle Fire—or $37 more than the selling price for the entire Indian tablet” (Poeter, 2011).

Perhaps the most relevant field in our discussion on tablets is the Information Technology industry. Tablets have the potential to make the most profound change in the IT industry because it relies on technology to exist. Alan Orther conducted an interview with Brandon Evans, a Linux system administrator for Synthetics Genomics who was kind enough to answer a few questions about how he uses a tablet in his day to day IT operations.

Synthetics Genomics issues most of their system administrators and computer related staff with tablets to help maintain their computer infrastructure. According to Brandon, his company uses the iPad2 mostly due to the fact that the company was already using Apple products for their phones and because they prefer the functionality and software support Apple provides. Almost any tablet could effectively handle the operations for his company, but they chose Apple products. Brandon claimed that the tablet PCs will most likely only last 2 to 3 years before they break or become obsolete. At that time his company might choose to use an android tablet or continue to use Apple’s iPad.

Brandon professed that using a tablet in his job has greatly benefited him. He also stated that he thinks that tablets could benefit many industries. Besides the IT industry he saw many benefits in the educational system. He believed that teachers could greatly benefit from the use of tablets because everything could be centrally located on one small computer, eliminating paper files. He also believed that the school’s faculty could gain from tablets. It's faster to file reports ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 9

and paperwork on a tablet, and more difficult to lose records while using computer automation.

Although the benefits for faculty are proficient, Brandon believes that students would benefit the most from tablets.

According to the interviewee, using a tablet makes learning a lot easier than a conventional computer or laptop. Students are able to easily research information while on the go. From taking notes to electronically sending in homework, tablets could simplify a student’s life. They can be used to read or write a report. The applications that can be written for tablets could also help tutor students. Whether it’s literature, math, or science; applications can be written to facilitate education.

After divulging into areas outside of the IT industry, the focus of the interview shifted to its original intention, the specific use of tablets in Brandon’s place of employment. One of the things that Brandon liked the most about using tablets was their size. Because they're so small and light, it makes them very portable. Another attribute that goes hand-in-hand with the tablets portability is its ability to use 3G networks. This allows computing to go outside of its normal realm of office buildings or homes. Being the leading system administrator for a large company,

Brandon is normally on call. With his tablet, he can go camping without stressing about not having access to his work.

Brandon suggested a few ways that companies can implement tablets as well. He mentioned that companies should verify that their new tablets are compatible with their existing software. Making sure the tablet can access an e-mail server and also gain access to the company’s VPN are two vital steps. He also said that allowing one of the IT professionals to set profiles for your devices on servers will decrease transition problems. This will allow the server ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 10

to know it is being contacted by another computer, tablet or phone. The profiles will also make it so that the tablet has access to only those servers that that individual should have access to. Most major tablets should be able to handle these features but it is good to check just to make sure.

Although the tablet was praised by the interviewee, he did declare that there were some drawbacks. The software on tablets is somewhat limited. Computers and laptops have much more accessibility and software. To make the tablets more portable, manufacturers had to sacrifice power. Most of the tablets are powered by dual core processors, while many laptops and

PCs have quad or six core processors. The cost of the device is also a barrier for their implementation. Brandon estimated that his iPad2 cost the company between $600 and $700. At that price, a desktop and a laptop combined are attainable, and when considering the overall cost of the device, companies must take into account the monthly service fee associated with the 3G feature. Because of these drawbacks, tablets could prove less beneficial to smaller companies.

Brandon provided some specific examples of how he uses his tablet, but said that typically he and his team only use them a couple times a week. He and his coworkers find them very useful for meetings. Brandon said that his tablet is a lifesaver when he goes to the Chargers games because it keeps him connected at all times with slightly more functionality than a

Smartphone. Some of the simple day to day ways that Brandon and his team use their tablets are taking notes, making plans, and receiving and sending e-mails. They also use it for something called white boarding. With white boarding, people can collaborate and use a virtual whiteboard to make plans and designs. Brandon also uses the tablet for advanced computing. With his tablet he can SSH into a server, also known as shelling in. With this feature, Brandon can log into the server as if he's actually sitting at its keyboard. This is one of the most useful features for those

IT administrators that need to be constantly connected to their servers to help monitor traffic and ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 11

maintain system stability. It can virtually bring an office to the fingertips of the user anytime and anywhere. This is an important benefit in business where time is money, and the world is connected like never before.

Tablets are penetrating multiple industries to make life easier for workers. According to one local health center professional, at a facility that employs approximately 15 nurses and other staff, some of the medical technicians use an iPad to aid them at work. Eric Moreno interviewed one of the technicians to get more details on how she uses a tablet in the medical field. He also inquired as to her opinion on some of the pros and cons of using a tablet.

The medical technician said that tablets are still new in the medical area. Most people are using them more as personal devices, not for work. Tablets are generally used around her office as calendars and organizers to keep schedules and reminders. Not many people know any other way to use the device while working, although this function alone is beneficial since they can fit all of their reminders in a device that offers a multitude of other functions. Many other medical technicians use it for web purposes, particularly for research. They have it in their hands and they don’t necessarily have to be at a computer station. The medical technician that was interviewed mentioned a few specific examples of how she uses her iPad on the job.

According to this medical professional, the portability of the iPad is very beneficial. One of the time consuming activities her job entails is taking inventory of all the medicine, and distributing it to the appropriate patients. By using her iPad, she can keep the device in her hand and access the database to determine which medicine is for each patient. Without the portable database she would have to search through a 3-inch binder to verify that the right medication was given out. The iPad makes retrieving important and timely information quicker and more ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 12

convenient due to its portability. It also assists with ordering the correct medication because orders are placed online. By having the iPad on hand, she can place an order at the moment a particular item is running out of stock. This helps decrease ordering errors because rather than having to wait to place an order, the tablet is on hand for immediacy. Additionally, the tablet is an extremely valuable organizer. In the medical field many operations during the course of the day are time sensitive. The tablet can aid in tracking the numerous complications that could arise throughout the day.

While the tablet enables more efficient operation, there are disadvantages with its use.

Our medical technician said that having her tablet at work and being able to surf the web whenever she wants can potentially become a distraction. There are times when workers get off track checking their emails or chatting on social networking sites. She says that it is still considered a privilege to be able to use an iPad at work because many employers see them as distractions.

There are several useful apps that our interviewee found that were related to the medical industry. There are medical encyclopedias where the user can look up a variety of complicated medical terms in the blink of an eye. Other apps provide explanations for several common diseases and how some of them can be diagnosed. The accuracy of some of these apps is questionable, but it provides a starting place for medical professionals.

One of the features of the iPad that the interviewee found useful was the ability to download complete medical books. The medical books come in eBook format which provides several advantages. are easy to search, and they don’t take up any physical space. Many of the medical books in the app store are free and those that aren’t generally cost under $15. In ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 13

the app store there are also medical podcasts that allow the user to listen to medical conversations and get valuable insights from other professionals in the medical field. Due to their convenience, our medical tablet expert believes that tablets will be seen more often in the medical profession in the near future.

In the auto industry, many retailers are focusing on tablets to provide their sales force with a new arsenal of information. Several auto industries are introducing Apple and other computer tablets into their automobiles and workforce. Sale consultants are using computer tablets to assist customers with any questions or concerns they might have with a particular vehicle model. The sales consultant is able to research the information needed by the customer instantaneously without having to leave the showroom. Hyundai and BMW have introduced iPad friendly accessories into new models in order to stay current with market trends. In a collective marketing effort, Hyundai offered a free iPad with each 2011 Hyundai Equus purchase (Moreno,

2010). Auto retailers hope that by using the allure of the tablet, they can increase interest in their brand and offer improved efficiency to their customers.

Approximately 50 Mazda dealerships across the United States are using the Apple iPad or similar computer tablets as sale aids. Joe Shaker, owner of a Massachusetts Mazda dealership, is responsible for helping introduce Mazda showrooms to the computer tablet. Shaker states that the computer tablet offers a sense of freedom and transparency to each customer. Customers who are doubtful about a purchase can get immediate proof on the tablet. The tablet also allows the customer to view the different model packages and see how they can customize their new car.

Some Mazda retailers are using the tablet to display the information of rival automakers and how the Mazda model compares to it. Overall it has made the sales process more efficient to both the customer and sales consultant. Mazda spokesperson Jeremy Barnes has stated that Mazda wants ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 14

to provide each dealership with tablet computers within the near future. Jeremy Barnes goes on to say that tablet computers have been great educational tools in spreading the information of various Mazda models to its customers. Many auto manufacturers have also begun to offer compatibility features for tablets in the vehicle (Woodyard, 2011).

Hyundai is running a promotional deal where purchasers of a 2011 Equus will also be given an iPad. The Equus iPad bundle is intended to be a one-year promotion. Hyundai will use the iPad to replace the owner’s manual by pre-loading a digital copy of the manual on the iPad.

The iPad offered with the Equus can also be used to schedule service visits, dinner reservations, as well as online shopping. Through television and magazine advertisements, this promotion has helped Hyundai dismiss its image of producing cheap disposable vehicles. It has proven to be such a hit that Hyundai has taken a five percent share of the premium luxury sedan market. The

2012 Hyundai Equus will offer a hard copy of the owner’s manual as well as a downloadable application version for the iPad. The owner will already have to own or purchase a tablet computer in order to use the download application. BMW has also included iPad features for certain models.

In order to compete with the growing demand for computer tablets, BMW has included optional brackets on its latest X3 sport utility vehicle. This will allow passengers in the backseat to watch movies, read, and pursue numerous other activities from their iPad or other tablet. The bracket offers two different holding positions. The user is able to move the bracket horizontally for movie mode or vertically for mode. This revolutionary feature will cut out the need to install a television screen and DVD player into an automobile. One can just load up their iPad with their favorite entertainment and mount it to the backseat bracket. Overall, the new iPad ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 15

feature in the BMW X3 offers its owner more control and greater efficiency. For the auto industry, tablets offer many advantages to the customer as well as the employees selling the cars.

One of the most surprising places tablets are found is in the NFL. The introduction of tablets in the NFL is simplifying the multi-billion dollar industry. Everyone from the players to the fans is enjoying this budding technology as it takes center stage in one of America’s national pastimes. It is yet another industry willing to invest in modern tablet technology for the sake of competitive advantage. By examining the use of tablets within the NFL, clarity becomes evident as to its benefits.

For fanatic football fans, the NFL released an official application specifically designed for Honeycomb tablets. The application, “allows you to watch on-demand NFL network news and other info, check out the latest on your favorite teams, keep up with game action, stats, and drive charts; and check out team rosters, stats, and player info, all while looking mighty good doing it” (Summerson, 2011). Yet, while this application seems flawless, there are a few limitations. As Chris Parsons purports, “The app doesn't come without a few caveats though.

You do have to have a NFL Sunday Ticket subscription through DirecTV in order to have access, and it's only Sunday games that are available. Sunday night, Monday, Thursday and

Saturday NFL games are not part of Sunday Ticket and are therefore not eligible for streaming.”

For the diehard NFL fans, these limitations are only minor setbacks; the benefits easily outweigh the costs.

Aside from personal use, various NFL teams are incorporating tablets as a replacement for the traditional paper playbook and DVD’s. As Daniel Terdiman explains, “Pete Walsh, head of technology for the Cowboys, said his team and at least a "couple" of others are currently ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 16

considering abandoning their playbooks in favor of iPads, a move they feel could save them as much as 5,000 of paper printouts per game.” It’s not just saving paper that helps; it’s the convenience and mobile use that make this conversion so palatable. As Terdiman states, “In a lot of ways, this is exactly what tablets are meant for: easy access to data via wireless networks, high-quality photos, and portability. And from a coach's or player's perspective, imagine being able to quickly sort through a large set of plays, look at them in a stylish graphical presentation, see animations of them in action, and more--or to download a photo of the last play seconds later.” The use of tablets for teams is obvious; it’s a necessary investment for teams that want to attain a competitive advantage over their adversaries.

No longer will players and coaches be encumbered by paper playbooks and DVD’s, the technological era does not exclude the NFL no matter how deep the traditions. As of fall 2011, two teams, the Baltimore Ravens and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have switched to iPads. The concern is over security, coaches fear that by logging information electronically, strategies could be stolen or viewed and used against the teams. But, as Jenny Wilson explains, “Both the

Baltimore Ravens and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have issued iPads to their players, thus providing them with easy access to the team playbook as well as game tape for review. And arguably the best part? The iPads are password protected, which allows teams to ensure that their strategies are kept secret.” The ease of secure information being accessed is debatable and speculative, what is important is that the NFL among various other industries has begun incorporating tablets in their businesses.

To many people the tablet is just another cool gadget that they can show off, but with so many tablets on the market presently, how are consumers to judge which tablet is better? Using ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 17

13 different criteria the following table was produced to compare and determine how each tablet differs, and which tablet is best overall.

Tablet PC Comparison Chart

Tablet PC Nook Toshiba Thrive Sony Kindle Fire Motorola Apple iPad 2 Samsung

Comparison Tablet S Tablet Xoom Galaxy Tab

Price Range 249 430 - 630 599 199 588 - 799 499 - 829 500 - 600

(USD)

Release Nov-11 2011 Aug-11 Nov-11 2011 2011 2011

Year

Operating System Android Android 3.1 Android 3.1 Android 2.3 Android 3.0 iOS 4 Android 3.1

2.3

Size 8.1 x 5 x 10.75 x 0.62 x 9.5 x 6.8 x 7.5 x 4.7 x 9.8 x 6.6 x 0.5 9.5 x 7.31 x 0.3 x 6.9 x

(inches) 0.48 6.97 0.3 0.45 0.34 10.1

Weight 0.88 lb / 1.6 lb / 0.73 kg 1 lb / 0.453kg 0.9 lb / 1.61 lb / 0.73 1.33 lb / 0.60 1.2 lb / 0.54

0.40 kg 0.413 kg kg kg kg

Display 7 10.1 9.4 7 10.1 HD screen 9.7 10.1

Size

(inches)

Screen Resolution 1024x600 1280 x 800 1280 x 800 1024 x 600 1280 x 800 1024 x 768 1280x800

Disk Size (GB) 16 8, 16, 32 16, 32 8 32 16, 32, 64 16, 32

CPU TI OMAP Nvidia Tegra 2 Nvidia Tegra TI OMAP 4 Nvidia Tegra 2 Apple A5 Nvidia Tegra

4 Dual Dual 2 Dual Dual Core Dual 2 Dual

Core

CPU Speed 1 GHz 1 GHz 1 GHz 1 GHz 1 GHz 1 GHz 1 GHz

Connectivity WiFi WiFi & WiFi & WiFi WiFi/ 3G/ 4G Wi-Fi/ 3G & WiFi &

Bluetooth & Bluetooth Bluetooth Bluetooth

Cameras None 5 MP & 2 MP 5 MP & 0.3 None 5 MP & 2 MP 1MP & 0.3 MP 3 MP & 2

MP MP

Battery Life (using 9 - 11.5 7 hours 8 hours 8 hours 10 hours 10 hours 10 hours

Wi-Fi) hours ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 18

Overall Ratings Not Rated 4.8 3.7 4 4.3 4 4

Star Rating

According to the research conducted, the best tablet presently is the iPad 2. The iPad holds about 80% of the market share, and consumers love the tablet for its size and price. The iPad 2 offers the most value for its price. Lower priced tablets don’t have all the features of the iPad. One of its most important features is its access to Apple’s massive app store. This benefit should not be undervalued, as the apps are what unlock the true functionality of the iPad. The majority of tablet critics concur that the iPad 2 is the most proficient.

If Apple products seem measly, the Sony S tablet and the Samsung Galaxy Tablet are next in line. Both the Samsung Galaxy and the Sony S are similar in terms of price and performance specifications. The Samsung Galaxy has matched the iPad’s size and weight as well as the screen resolution, but it falls short on processing speed. The Sony S tablet is a newer type of tablet with different designs. These alternative tablets run on some variation of the Android operating system, and have access to the Android App Market. There is not an exact count as to how many apps are available on the Android Market, but it is estimated to be in the low hundred thousand.

Although the Apple App Store has fewer apps available, people seem to prefer the Apple software over Android apps. In the end, the consumer must take into account what features they value more to determine which tablet they will purchase. Some tablets have better features than the iPad, such as higher quality cameras or the capacity to expand storage, but in the end the iPad is the most well rounded tablet. For overall capability, the iPad 2 is highly recommended. ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 19

Overall it is apparent that the tablet computer is the latest technological trend that has shown benefits in a wide array of industries. Within the educational industry, tablets are more efficient than textbooks, allowing a user to read text based assignments off of a tablet.

Additionally, there is no further need to haul large and heavy textbooks. The Internet access on the tablet also allows students to conduct further research by taking advantage of the vast amount of information provided by the World Wide Web. In addition, IT professionals use tablets for recording meetings, and staying connected. Employees within the medical industry have been using tablet computers to better organize their information. Nurses and medical technicians have been able to use tablet computers for making schedules and setting reminders. This gives medical professionals the ability to offer greater and more accurate care to their patients.

Computer tablets are now a standard within many auto showrooms throughout the country. As stated previously, auto salesman can provide more information to their customers by using the tablet computer. This gives a sense of ease to the customer and allows for quicker and more efficient sales. Many automobiles are also being equipped with tablet computer installations. The sports industry has benefitted from the introductions of tablets as well. Coaches can now use tablet computers to make plays throughout the game and plan strategies during their down time, reducing the enormous waste of paper that is otherwise used. Sports fans can now watch live games on their tablets as well.

The tablet’s ease of use is unsurpassed, giving rise to its immense popularity. Tablet computers are incredibly light in weight, yet they can hold unprecedented amounts of information. In the current technological age, where time equals money, it would be foolish to ignore the efficiency of tablets. The increased productivity rates of tablets are uncanny to any other product offered on the current market. As time progresses, tablet computers will increase ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 20

the amount of applications offered in order to keep current with demands, further boosting the tablet’s popularity. This is just the beginning for tablet computers. While the devices are new, it would be difficult to ignore that the future of tablets is optimistic.

ADVANTAGES OF MULTI-TOUCH TABLET DEVICES IN THE WORKPLACE 21

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