5 Jul
2012
5 Jul
'12
12:57 p.m.
On 7/5/12 1:46 AM, "John Many Jars" <john at yoyodyne-propulsion.net>
wrote:
On Thu, Jul 5, 2012 at 9:32 AM, Mark Benson
<md.benson at gmail.com> wrote:
I was an early adopter of the Tablet PC, first an Acer convertible, then a
Fujitsu slate (that did yeoman's work for me in my Master's program). The
battery life was OK, it was heavy... but IMHO its biggest liability - and
the one that is likely to torpedo (or at least impede) the new device - is
that the Windows PC is so embedded in Microsoft's DNA they will ship a
substandard product before they will actually break with their flagship
product's hegemony. The story of recent months/years is that the tablet
is an increasingly successful form factor for an increasingly large
segment of the consumer community for computer-based information
technology. Many people just don't need a "Personal Computer". The PC
form factor isn't going away soon, any more than the mainframe has,
because it's the right tool for some people, e.g. the knowledge worker.
For folks whose primary use of a "computer" is consumption rather than
production, the tablet is becoming the tool of choice.
IMHO -- Ian
PS: Microsoft really dropped the ball on marketing the Tablet PC. I
almost went to work for the person (Alex Loeb) who ultimately became the
VP for Tablet PC - and she subsequently dropped completely out of sight,
without even an company-internal "have a nice life" memo.
This is rumoured as being a TV as in the full 9
yards, not just a box
for HDMI, with everything the current AppleTV has plus Safari, Apps
etc. Basically iOS for the living room.
I am skeptical. Then again I never thought they'd take on the record
industry and succeed either, but then again a lot of that was down to
Steve playing hardball. They don't have that anymore.
They could always try another video-game system. Well, based on what
my wife uses her Galaxy Note for, they already have. (;
I love the way folks are kind of accusing Microsoft of copying the
Ipad when Microsoft did tablets first (and they didn't sell). I guess
Gates/Balmer just aren't cool the way Steve was. (;