What's amazing tablet computer?
A
tablet computer, or simply
tablet, is a
mobile computer with display, circuitry and battery in a single unit. Tablets are equipped with sensors, including cameras, microphone, accelerometer and touchscreen, with finger or stylus gestures replacing computer mouse and keyboard.
Tablets may include physical buttons, e.g., to control basic features
such as speaker volume and power and ports for network communications
and to charge the battery. An on-screen, pop-up virtual keyboard is usually used for typing. Tablets are typically larger than smart phones or personal digital assistants at 7 inches (18 cm) or larger, measured diagonally.
Tablets can be separated into several categories, according to the presence and physical appearance of a keyboard. Slates and Booklets
does not have a physical keyboard and a text input typically is
performed through the use of a virtual keyboard, projected on a
touchscreen-enabled display. Hybrids and Convertibles do have physical keyboards, although the virtual keyboard feature is typically also available with these devices.
Conceptualized in the mid-20th century and prototyped and developed
in the last two decades of that century, the devices became popular in
2010. As of March 2012, 31% of U.S. Internet users were reported to have a
tablet, which was used mainly for viewing published content such as
video and news.
Among tablets available in 2012, the top-selling line of devices was Apple's
iPad with 100 million sold by mid-October 2012 since its release in April 2010, followed by Amazon's Kindle Fire with 7 million, and Barnes & Noble's Nook with 5 million. As of May 2013, over 70% of mobile developers were targeting tablets (vs. 93% for smartphones and 18% for feature phones).
Content that was once primarily accessed by consumers on their PCs,
is shifting to mobile devices. In fact, 37 percent of consumers who used
to access content on their PCs switched to their tablets and
smartphones in 2012
Definition of:tablet computer
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, and a stylus is an
option, whereas earlier tablets required a stylus. In 2000, Microsoft
introduced its first Windows tablet (see
Tablet PC).
iPad, Android and BlackBerry In 2010, Apple's iPad created a tablet revolution as dramatic as it did
with the iPhone. However, Android tablets have given the iPad a run for
its money with numerous models from several vendors. BlackBerry
introduced the PlayBook to entice its loyal customers. See
iPad,
Android and
BlackBerry PlayBook.
Windows Tablets
Starting before the turn of the century, Windows tablets have had an
erratic history; however, Windows 8 changed the game in 2012. Any
program that runs on a Windows PC can run on a thin Windows 8 tablet,
and there is a greater variety of Windows tablet sizes than for any
other platform. See
Windows 8 tablet and
Surface tablet.
Thousands of Applications
All tablets come with a Web browser and a variety of apps. A huge
number of additional free and paid apps are available from the vendor's
Web-based store (see
online app store). See
mobile compatibility.
Regular Size and Mini
The larger tablets from left to right are the Lenovo Windows 8 IdeaTab,
Apple iPad and Android Iconia from Acer. The mini tablet is the Amazon
Android Kindle Fire. All tablets operate in landscape and portrait
orientations. See
phablet.
State-Of-The-Art in 1999
Although bulky by today's standards, the Qbe ("Cube") tablet included
voice recognition, camera, modem, networking and a keyboard for desktop
use. (Image courtesy of Aqcess Technologies Inc.)
The Tablet Newspaper Prototype
In 1994, Knight-Ridder's Roger Fidler predicted future newspapers would
be viewed on tablets. Watch the video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_QyktOw0JM.
When Steve Jobs ended years of speculation in 2010 by announcing the
iPad
tablet device, he helped launch a new era in computer hardware. Though
tablet PCs have been around for years, the iPad was the first device to
use the form factor successfully in the consumer market. And Apple's
success benefitted other companies as well as tech enthusiasts looked
for alternatives to Apple's approach.
So what exactly is a tablet? At its most basic level, a
tablet PC is a mobile computing device that's larger than a
smartphone
or personal digital assistant. There's not a strict cutoff size for
tablet devices -- the iPad line sports a screen size of just under 10
inches but other tablets can be larger or smaller. In general, if the
computing device uses an on-screen interface and doesn't include a
phone, it's a tablet.
To confuse matters, some manufacturers
produce hybrid devices that are part tablet, part laptop computer. The
device might come with an attached keyboard -- the screen swivels or
folds down to cover the keyboard and voila, you have a tablet!
In
2010, Lenovo introduced a prototype device called the IdeaPad U1 at the
Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nev. At first glance, it looked
like a normal
laptop
computer. But if you detached the screen from the base, the laptop
converted to a tablet computer with its own, independent operating
system. Lenovo rebranded the device, naming it the Lenovo LePad and
launching it in China in 2011.
Although tablets come in a variety
of shapes, sizes and feature sets, they share many similar
characteristics. Nearly all have a touch-screen interface and an
operating system
capable of running small programs. They don't necessarily replace the
need for a more robust computer, but they create a new space for
computing devices.
It's very amazing in tablet computers competence and performance. I think that this excellence instrument may be make the changing way of instruction and learning of the world.
From : 1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tablet_computer online 03/09/2014 11.28 am.
2) http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/52520/tablet-computer online
03/09/2014 11.35 am.
3) Jonathan Strickland(2011) How tablets work. from:
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/tablets/tablet.htm online
03/09/2014 11.42 am.
