Tablets and Tablet PCs

For they have revolutionized portability in personal computers, tablets have become an innovative tool for doing business, and at the same time presenting a new perspective in digital content and mobile connectivity. These tablet-shaped portable computers have internet connectivity and have a touch screen as their primary input component or device. At most, tablets have stylus accompanied with it. Tablets usually have office suite programs, internet browser(s), basic entertainment, and computation software installed—components seen mostly on netbooks. Although they have limited performance and functionality compared with a desktop or high-end notebook computer, tablet’s popularity has triggered computer manufacturers to develop more powerful specifications as the demand for power and performance increased as time goes by.

Tablets’ history could be traced as far as the late 19th century, Elisha Grey’s “Teleautograph”—believed to be the “grandfather of all modern tablets.” During the mid-20th Century, science fiction TV series and movies which depicted computers with screens like clipboards and using touch or styluses or even streaming videos wirelessly became the inspiration for developing the tablets later. One of the earliest tablet computers would look more like desktops such as the RAND Tablet of the 1960s and Digital Graphic of 1970s. Apple has presented its Graphics Tablet in 1979, an aid for creating computer-assisted graphics. However, the first portable tablet was the five-pound GridPad by GRiD Systems in late 1980s--armed with a touch screen pad and a stylus, its functionality was more for computation. From then on, more tablets have been developed, like Apple’s first portable tablet and one of the pioneers in personal digital assistants (PDAs), the Newtown Message Pad. In the 1990s, tablets were expensive and accessible only for business use. However, as technology rapidly developed, tablets gained popularity among the consumers.

Today, tablets have become part of the modern-day business and even for personal use. Since they have integrated most of the functionalities of a desktop or notebook computer in one slim and more portable device, tablets have set the trend in technological evolution.

Apple’s iPad was praised to be “revolutionary” according to some critics. This tablet operates exclusively with Apple’s iOS, the operating system that runs on iPods and iPhones.

Also one of the most popular tablets would be Android tablets. Fueled by Google’s expertise, Android tablets such as Motorola XOOM™ and ViewSonic.

However, Windows tablets have been around since the last century. From Windows-based phones, PDAs, and all the way to tablets, it has been one of the most popular operating systems installed in tablets worldwide. Popular computer manufacturers such as HP (for HP Slate), Fujitsu and Toshiba are just some that produce these.

For bookworms, E-Book readers may also be referred to as tablets. They serve as an alternative for reading paper-based books by using digital copies of books—that’s all the information without the heavy weight hassle. Some of the popular e-book readers are from ViewSonic, Sony, AluraTech, Targus and others. Like desktops and notebook computers, tablets have their own “alternative operating systems” that would give you more choices. Just recently, Blackberry launched its own tablet, PlayBook. Also recently, HP presented its TouchPad in which it operates on WebOS, the operating system acquired from Palm.

With all of different tablets on the market, let PC Mall assist you in choosing the right tablet that is fit for your business or personal use. Trusted brands such as Apple, BlackBerry, HP, Toshiba, Samsung, ViewSonic, Motorola, and more give assurance of quality products at great deals in town. Let the revolution of tablets take you into a whole new level in productivity—together with PC Mall.