What's the future of the iPad (and tablets generally)?

[jb1280]

Personally I think Apple will at some stage have to make a second tablet aimed at a different audience or they will lose custom.

There does need to be a, and I'm not being rude, dumbed down, very simple interface, with 1 app at a time, full screen like we have now.

All the grannies, and people who are not interested in "computers" will want this type of device. However, they are, and will be another large group who want a tablet, but also want more.

If Apple don't offer it, then in time someone else will.
Perhaps we will need multiple apps in multiple scalable windows on the screen together? Or different input device options for more high end work like Photoshop / Cad type work.

iPad Pro some have said. I don't know, but I don't believe 1 tablet can be everything to everyone in the long term.

Such a tablet is being offered now and I don't believe Microsoft or Windows OEMs are too thrilled with sales.

iOS will become more robust and will become more feature-rich, but Apple tablets will most likely continue using two important features: full screen apps and a curated way of obtaining apps.

I would say, and I would suggest Apple would say that if you want a compact and lightweight device that handles multiple windows and multiple input devices that you should buy a MacBook Air.

 

[vrDrew]

It strikes me as unlikely that the physical dimensions of either Tablets or laptops are going to change much in the foreseeable future.

While it certainly is possible that the electronic components within them will continue to get smaller and more powerful, the "boxes" themselves are constrained by the limits of materials, and by the physiology of the humans that use them. You'd struggle to make a laptop that was less than a centimeter thick without ending up with a machine that was potentially "bendy." And any device used by humans needs to be accessible to "normal sized" fingers - and the acuity of normal eyesight.

Those who believe that the iPad (or tablets in general) are going to become more "laptop like" - by dint of full-featured file systems and additional ports - are really missing the point. The more an iPad resembles a MacBook Air, the less reason there is for anyone to buy it. And even less reason for Apple to make it.

Steve Jobs generally keeps things pretty close to the vest, but I believe his remark about "post-PC" devices really shows where Apple's thinking is going. The AppleTV is an example of this. I truly believe that the next logical step in the iPad evolution is the creation of a model that can operate totally independent of a PC. Such a device, which would feature Apple-provided "cloud" storage and backup, would be immensely attractive to people who don't have the time, space, or inclination to have a full-featured PC in their home, and yet want to have the ability to do e-mail, browse the web, and otherwise enjoy the benefits of Internet life. Possibly sold with a combination keyboard dock, charging station and wireless router - such a device would - in a single box - let less technically-capable people easily enjoy the benefits of wi-fi at home. Such a device would also make the addition of other Apple "post-PC" devices, such as the AppleTV, accessible to an even wider range of customers.

 

[dmaul1114]

Only thing I'm hoping happens is that they get away from smart phone OS's and move to something closer to a full PC/Mac OS while maintaining form factor and battery life.

Doesn't have to be a full on computer OS, just something that can run things like full versions of MS Office that are truly 100% compatible with the desktop versions and so on to make it easier to do real work on a tablet paired with a bluetooth keyboard. Then they could pretty much replace a laptop for most of us.

Add in some hardware things like USB drive support to make it easy to get files on and off the device when traveling etc. as well. I'd like a drag and drop file/folder system, but could live with a simple import/export from drive interface as well if I had to.

 

[neko girl]

Only thing I'm hoping happens is that they get away from smart phone OS's

The only reason we are having a conversation about the iPad is because Apple made a (then-controversial) choice to place a mobile/touch OS instead of a desktop OS into the tablet. This is was the first decision of its kind in the modern tablet industry and it's made a difference between failure and success.

I certainly hope they don't move away from their success vector.

Want a light PC? Get an Air. It is not the function of an iPad to replace an Air.

 

[dmaul1114]

The only reason we are having a conversation about the iPad is because Apple made a (then-controversial) choice to place a mobile/touch OS instead of a desktop OS into the tablet. This is was the first decision of its kind in the modern tablet industry and it's made a difference between failure and success.

I certainly hope they don't move away from their success vector.

Want a light PC? Get an Air. It is not the function of an iPad to replace an Air.

Your looking at it wrong. Past Tablet PCs sucked as all they did was shoehorn a Desktop OS into a tablet. But that doesn't mean that's the way it HAS to be done.

What needs to happen is to make a touch based TABLET OS from the ground up. Not to shoehorn a desktop OS on it NOR to shoehorn a smartphone OS on to it.

Make a new OS from the ground up that's meant for tablets and thus has more functionality than iOS or Android, but it still streamlined around touch screen used. And give it more power so it can run office etc.

I have ZERO interest in the Air (not a Mac user and never will be) nor any small light laptops. I already have a laptop but need a large one to easily type on and that has power to work with large databases etc. as it's my only home computer for working (don't have the room for a desk and desktop PC in my condo).

I only travel 5-10 times a year so it's not worth it for me to buy a smaller laptop that would ONLY get used those times while my big Thinkpad gets used at home. A tablet I use a lot around the house already, so my ideal is to have one that has full MS Office and a few other pieces of software so I can just take a tablet and keyboard case when traveling instead of having to lug the Thinkpad.

But I agree with you that they HAVE to get the OS right. I have no interest in it if it's a desktop OS shoehorned onto a tablet as it will suck like past Tablet PCs. But if Apple or Microsoft make a 100% new tablet OS, then that could lead to a really great device IMO that could provide the best of both worlds. Something that is easy to use like the iPad but has more functionality for being a real work tool rather than basically a multimedia toy like the iPad and Android tablets currently. Time will tell if they can pull it off. MS is apparently shooting for late 2012 for their Tablet OS. No idea if Apple is working on something more like a Mac Tablet.

 

[phluid13]

I think it would be great if the iPad was integrated into a laptop shell. You could use the iPad like a macbook in a macbook shell with whatever built in peripherals you wanted like an optical drive built into the shell and maybe extra hard drive built into the shell, etc. Then if you wanted to go mobile, you just pop the screen out and there is your iPad on the go. Essential apps would be installed into the iPad, allowing you to take them on the go. Other files like music or anything else you choose not to take with you could be stored on the hard drive in the shell.

I've always thought this was a great idea. This would satisfy those customers who want a laptop style device while also having the mobility of an iPad if they so wanted.

 

[sigamy]

I really see the tablet as the perfect home device. I really don't view it as a competitor to a notebook. Maybe I'm in the distortion field but I do believe these are post-PC devices.

I see the tablet as the replacement for physical books, magazines, newspapers, calendars and to-do lists.

In the way that MP3 and iPods took over from CDs, the tablet (lump Kindle in here) will do the same for print media.

I believe that creation uses will increase but the tablet will remain best at consumption. Reading/Viewing/Listening/Playing. That will continue to be the bread and butter.

Here is how I see tablets used in a typical home:

7am: Dad uses tablet to read the newspaper. He gets custom news tailored to his tastes. Dad leaves for work first and passes tablet to Mom.
8am: Mom uses tablet to pay a few bills, check the family calendar, update Bill's soccer game.
Mom heads to work and kids to school
3pm: middle school kid uses tablet for web research on US history project.
5pm: kid plays a few games on tablet
7pm: high school kid watches youtube and listens to music, viewing full album art with enhancements (the return of the LP!)
8pm: high school kid does web research and facetime chat with lab partner for school project.
9pm: Mom and Dad use table to read latest novel

 

[dmaul1114]

I think it would be great if the iPad was integrated into a laptop shell. You could use the iPad like a macbook in a macbook shell with whatever built in peripherals you wanted like an optical drive built into the shell and maybe extra hard drive built into the shell, etc. Then if you wanted to go mobile, you just pop the screen out and there is your iPad on the go. Essential apps would be installed into the iPad, allowing you to take them on the go. Other files like music or anything else you choose not to take with you could be stored on the hard drive in the shell.

I've always thought this was a great idea. This would satisfy those customers who want a laptop style device while also having the mobility of an iPad if they so wanted.

That would be ideal, as long as they keep it small and light, and would address all my desires above.

There are some of these types of things coming out from Lenovo and Asus. So just a matter of maybe Apple doing it (scrap the 11" Air model and turn it into a laptop dock for the iPad maybe) or MS getting a good tablet OS out and then having companies make the docking options for them etc.

But it would be great for me. I have no interest, as I stated, in having my big desktop replacement laptop, a Tablet AND a small laptop. The desktop replacement laptop is a must for me. And I love having a Tablet. So what I really want is something like this to at least make the tablet functional enough to replace a small travel-use only laptop. I don't need it to be a full on laptop replacement. Just to at least have full Office, USB drive support etc. so I can use it to do work at conferences etc. that I can't do on the iPad or current Android tablets. I'd still do 99.9% of my work on my desktop replacement laptop at home and my office desktop.

 

[Danoc]

I think the future of tablet is not the past: desktop-like OS, desktop-like connectivity, desktop-like case, laptop-like case.

These belong to the past and I don't see any Apple's interest in duplicating old school stuff (that are sometimes better made by the competitors).

The smart cover is a great example of something different. Not perfect, but different.

 

[Blakjack]

Its simple. As technology gets better, the smaller, but more powerful the components will have to be to fit inside a slim tablet. How thin, I dont know. Hopefully not too thin. I like the ipad 2s thinness. People keep using the lack of a tactile keyboard as a reason the tablet wont be as useful as the the laptop. Helloooo, wireless keyboards are of the present. That excuse goes out the window. Just give it time. All things evolve. Nothing new under the sun. laptops will one day be clunky and forgotten. Its inevitable.

 

[dmaul1114]

Its simple. As technology gets better, the smaller, but more powerful the components will have to be to fit inside a slim tablet. People keep using the lack of a tactile keyboard as a reason the tablet wont be as useful as the the laptop. Helloooo, wireless keyboards are of the present. That excuse goes out the window. Just give it time. All things evolve. Nothing new under the sun. laptops will one day be clunky and forgotten. Its inevitable.

Yep. The keyboard thing is a non issue. There are wireless keyboards already, and the docking solution discussed above would also solve it.

Only area that needs improving is getting full office suites 100% compatible with the desktop versions on there. Ways to get files on and off the tablet without needing a a computer (USB port etc.) when traveling etc. As an example of why that's a need, if I want to work on my presentation on a tablet while traveling to a conference, I need to be able to get it onto a thumb drive to load on the computer in the conference room as there isn't time during a presentation panel to be unhooking the projector from the computer to hook up the tablet etc.

 

[neko girl]

Past Tablet PCs sucked as all they did was shoehorn a Desktop OS into a tablet. But that doesn't mean that's the way it HAS to be done.

I'm sure that if you follow Apple news, you would have noticed how this trend is slowly being built into OS X Lion. I think this sort of work doesn't happen instantly but I do believe Apple envisions an OS convergence somewhere.

It's going to take some time.

No one has a supercharged (desktop class) tablet OS at the moment, you're right. Looking at the way copy/paste/select works on iPhone/iPad it seems like there are massive user interface/experience issues to overcome.

 

[darngooddesign]

Ironically tablets are going to move away from the simplicity that we love about them now.

 

[dmaul1114]

I'm sure that if you follow Apple news, you would have noticed how this trend is slowly being built into OS X Lion. I think this sort of work doesn't happen instantly but I do believe Apple envisions an OS convergence somewhere.

It's going to take some time.

No one has a supercharged (desktop class) tablet OS at the moment, you're right. Looking at the way copy/paste/select works on iPhone/iPad it seems like there are massive user interface/experience issues to overcome.

Yep. That's probably why MS said there's isn't coming until late 2012--there's a lot of issues to work out to get it right.

And that's why I gave in and bought an iPad despite it not being ideal for my needs and not being an Apple fan. I want a tablet for at least web surfing and media consumption in the meantime as we're still at least a couple years away form getting more functional tablets with more robust OSs etc.

Ironically tablets are going to move away from the simplicity that we love about them now.

Adding more functionality doesn't mean having to lessen simplicity. Having full MS office is no more complicated than the iWorks suite for instance. It just would mean I could actually do work and not have the formatting get all screwed up when I go back and forth between the tablet and my PC like it does now with complex documents with lots of tables and figures.

Having a more functional file system that makes it easier to get a file into multiple apps doesn't have to be complicated. Having the tablet recognize USB drives to import and export files doesn't have to be complicated.

Hell, even if they just make a Mac/PC style file/folder system with drag and drop (which I doubt Apple will do, but others like MS probably will) isn't really complicated. Pretty much everyone 50-60 or below (and many older than that) have been working in that type of file system for a couple of decades.

The iPad system for getting files on and off is actually more complicated since you have to deal with iTunes or cloud services etc. Still pretty easy, but more of a hassle to people used to simply dragging and dropping files on and off of thumb drives etc.

More functionality doesn't have to equal more complexity.

Also, I don't think simple multimedia tablets like the iPad have to go away. They can exist as consumption devices for people who just need internet, e-mail and simple apps.

A new wave of Tablet PCs can come out and cost more and be designed primarily for business use rather than as personal media consumption gadgets.

It doesn't have to be an either/or situation.

 

[vrDrew]

Adding more functionality doesn't mean having to lessen simplicity. Having full MS office is no more complicated than the iWorks suite for instance..

I think you are missing the main reason WHY businesses are adopting iPads.

(And, by the way, there is NOTHING that is preventing Microsoft from developing a stripped-down Office Suite for the iPad. Other than Microsoft's own internal fiefdoms and a desire to protect one of their biggest cash cows.)

Businesses like the iPad BECAUSE it allows the user to concentrate on ONE THING at a time. A physician doing rounds doesn't want to fuss about with multitasking. He/She just wants to tap a button, have the device come on instantly, and then either look up or enter data. A salesperson doing a presentation just wants a device he can just plug into a monitor and go. A warehouse worker doing inventory doesn't want to bother with dropping files into the right hierarchical directory.

Think of some of the MOST succesful business tools. A forklift, for instance, doesn't do much of anything except move freight around. A drill press or milling machine pretty much just cuts metal.

Businesses DON'T WANT their employees messing around with file systems or writing their own code.

 

[dmaul1114]

Fair point.

I'm a professor so I don't have those kind of restrictions as I'm pretty much my own boss when it comes to that type of stuff and don't have restrictions on my computer usage etc.

So I'm just outlining my personal needs.

But at the same time, as I said above, it's not an either/or thing. We can have simple tablets for personal use and for restricted business uses like you list. And more Tablet PC types of devices for those who want to use a tablet paired with a keyboard as a replacement for a portable laptop/netbook.

As I noted, I find things like the Macbook Air or Netbooks useless as I'd never use them around the house over my full sized and powered Thinkpad and I just don't travel enough to justify buying a 2nd more portable laptop.

So I'd love a tablet with more functionality. If one doesn't come out, so be it and I'll just continue lugging my Thinkpad on trips and leaving the iPad at home as it's to redundant and bulky to take both along.

 

[thelookingglass]

Fair point.

I'm a professor so I don't have those kind of restrictions as I'm pretty much my own boss when it comes to that type of stuff and don't have restrictions on my computer usage etc.

So I'm just outlining my personal needs.

But at the same time, as I said above, it's not an either/or thing. We can have simple tablets for personal use and for restricted business uses like you list. And more Tablet PC types of devices for those who want to use a tablet paired with a keyboard as a replacement for a portable laptop/netbook.

As I noted, I find things like the Macbook Air or Netbooks useless as I'd never use them around the house over my full sized and powered Thinkpad and I just don't travel enough to justify buying a 2nd more portable laptop.

So I'd love a tablet with more functionality. If one doesn't come out, so be it and I'll just continue lugging my Thinkpad on trips and leaving the iPad at home as it's to redundant and bulky to take both along.

Like Steve Jobs said when asked about the limitations of the current iPad, "time takes care of everything." I agree completely with you about where the iPad is headed. There are no inherent limitations in tablets that would prohibit them from being the replacement travel buddy you mentioned. It's just a matter of getting the software up to date. Office suites like Docs To Go are nice, but still have a ways to go before I for one can travel with just my iPad and feel confident that I'm not going to miss my laptop.

 

[rovex]

It will be years before the iPad replaces notebooks. But they will eventually, I say 15-20 years Tablets will be ultra portable and pack greater horsepower than the current MacBook pro's (that's pretty bold, I know).

 

[aluren]

It will be years before the iPad replaces notebooks. But they will eventually, I say 15-20 years Tablets will be ultra portable and pack greater horsepower than the current MacBook pro's (that's pretty bold, I know).

I agree. I cannot be productive on a tablet. I rather kill myself than do word documents and spreadsheets on my iPad. I do love my iPad for casual surfing. It is actually a big deal because easy access to the internet is to me the best feature of the iPad. For now, it cannot replace a laptop - no physical keyboard, mouse, usb, file management, extra storage... all the things that takes time to adopt in a work environment. But time will tell on how far the tablets can go. I'm fine with it being a secondary device (toy).

 

[sigamy]

I agree. I cannot be productive on a tablet. I rather kill myself than do word documents and spreadsheets on my iPad. I do love my iPad for casual surfing. It is actually a big deal because easy access to the internet is to me the best feature of the iPad. For now, it cannot replace a laptop - no physical keyboard, mouse, usb, file management, extra storage... all the things that takes time to adopt in a work environment. But time will tell on how far the tablets can go. I'm fine with it being a secondary device (toy).

While I hear what you are saying, I don't view simply typing documents or spreadsheets or code as being productive.

Why is reading not viewed as being productive? How much of our time on a computer is spent creating vs. consuming? Think of typical media production. Very few are involved in producing the NY Times or the ABC Nightly News compared to the amount who consume that content.

Web surfing, reading of fiction and non-fiction, text books, research papers, user manuals, etc. are very useful tasks that tablets will take over. We can also include edu games, interactive books, regular games and communication tasks such as video chat and email.

We don't need to think of tablets as a notebook replacement. Each device should be used for what it is best at.

Tables are web/book/newspaper/magazine replacements. That niche alone is more than enough to make tablets life changing devices for millions of people.

 

[dmaul1114]

Why is reading not viewed as being productive? How much of our time on a computer is spent creating vs. consuming?

Depends on what work you do. As a professor I do spend a lot of time reading, and do some of that on my iPad now.

But I spend a ton of time creating--writing articles, book chapters, books etc. Writing peer reviews of other's articles. Writing lectures for my classes, creating exams. Making presentations for conferences etc.

We don't need to think of tablets as a notebook replacement. Each device should be used for what it is best at.

That's fine for use at home. Problematic when traveling where it's annoying as hell to need different gadgets.

Add full office suite, USB drive support and a few other basic features to tablet, and I could take the iPad (or other tablet) and something like the Zagg keyboard case on most of my business trips in place of a bulky laptop.

Tablets are web/book/newspaper/magazine replacements. That niche alone is more than enough to make tablets life changing devices for millions of people.

Again, they can be both and exist side by side. You can have a simple iPad like tablet that's just meant for consumption that sells for $500 or so, and Tablet Macs/PCs that sell for $1,000-1,500+ (laptop prices) for people who want to do that stuff but also want to do some higher level creation on their tablet when traveling instead of lugging a bulky laptop, or buying a more portable laptop that only gets used when traveling etc.

For me personally, the less gadgets I have to have to get my work done on the road the better. And I don't think I'm asking for a lot to be added to the iPad and other existing tablets to make that happen for me personally as it's just a matter of a few tweaks and improvements in software.

If tablets don't expand in those areas, I'm not sure I'll buy another one after the iPad 2 as having had it for 2 weeks now it's just not an essential device in my work flow. It's more just a toy to waste time reading the news and playing games, that I've used for work tasks maybe 2 hours thus far.

 

[Gomff]

The iPad is a great device for consuming media but I agree with people on this thread that the moment you want to produce something, it falls short for all the reasons mentioned, principally the lack of a file system.

I'm also not interested in a 100% cloud based solution either....what happens when there is no Internet connection? The cloud has it's place and is very useful as a means for synching between different machines or collaboration, but one of the things that makes dropbox so successful is the fact that it isn't solely a cloud based solution.....once my laptop is synched with dropbox I also have those files locally as well.

I'd like to see a modular approach to tablets which has been mentioned on here. There are times when I want my tablet to be a tablet, but others when I want to use a mouse and physical keyboard with a more robust OS that allows me more elbow room for website development or graphic design work. I don't want to take an iPad and a laptop on the road either.

 

[dmaul1114]

I'd like to see a modular approach to tablets which has been mentioned on here. There are times when I want my tablet to be a tablet, but others when I want to use a mouse and physical keyboard with a more robust OS that allows me more elbow room for website development or graphic design work. I don't want to take an iPad and a laptop on the road either.

Exactly. A docking type system really is the best of both worlds.

Put it together and have a laptop. Pull the tablet off and have an iPad.

And it would all be smaller and lighter than most laptops, which would be great for traveling.

Like you, there's no way I'm taking both a tablet and a laptop when traveling. The iPad is just too heavy and bulky to go in the bag with my big Thinkpad. So when I travel I take the laptop as I have to be able to do all my work, and take my small and light Kindle 3 for reading on the plane etc.

Make a tablet that docs with a base to be a laptop, or a tablet with a more full OS that's touch optimized, and I could travel with just one gadget.

 

[aluren]

Why is reading not viewed as being productive? How much of our time on a computer is spent creating vs. consuming? Think of typical media production. Very few are involved in producing the NY Times or the ABC Nightly News compared to the amount who consume that content.

You're right. It certainly can be productive if you're reading alot of things for work. But in my line of work, I spend 100% of my time on word and excel documents, and I have tried doing some work on the iPad and it just wasn't feasible.

 

[ravenas]

Isn't there a Lenevo or Acer tablet being advertised on TV right now that does this convertible thing? A dad typing away at his computer loads some cartoon video on the screen, grabs the screen which is really just an iPad-size tablet and hands it to his clamoring kids to get them to quiet down. The now fully occupied and happy kids are watching Spongebob or some other video.

We're all sort of stuck on how to make a tablet behave more like a desktop/laptop when I think the issue is even more outside the box.

Look at what the laptop revolution brought us. Before you had to have a dedicated office setup for a big tower and monitor, along with separate keyboard, mouse and other peripherals. You couldn't leave that office until your work was done and if you didn't have electricity then you could do any work. But with laptops suddenly you can be mobile. Lose your power, fold up your laptop and hop in the car to continue work elsewhere.

Smartphones gave us the ability to check into the web while away from any desk, table or any place we'd set a laptop down. We can be in line at the grocery store and answer an e-mail or price-check an item.

Tablets are an extension of the smartphone while being the stepchild of a laptop. We have the bigger screens of the laptop but the mobile nature of the smartphone. They become our books, our schedulers, our game consoles. But we lack the ability to do any serious full blown content creation (i.e. writing, graphic design, etc.) because they force us back into the laptop position. At a desk/table typing away on a keyboard.

The future, seems to me, will become full fledged voice integration. Like what we're seeing Google do (and Apple with its voice control).

We'll see more integration with our primary desk computers/servers, probably via continuous wireless sync. All our devices will be windows to the same AI. We'll tell our phones what we want to see/do. We'll dictate to our tablets instead of type. Our homes will get smarter with home automation and a system of remote mic/cameras so we can always talk to our AIs. We'll be able to project what we want to work on or consume on whatever screen we have nearby.

Walk into your house and tell your AI to turn on the TV to the newscast it was programmed to sync and download earlier, or stream live. Dictate a text or e-mail to your phone in the car. Tell your AI to throw the document on your tablet to the big screen TV so everyone can see. No cables required.

We already have the ability to wirelessly connect our devices. The next stage is to get them smart enough to understand wireless input from us. No typing on a keyboard, no finger presses or mouses clicks. Just us talking to the computer and it responding.