This presentation is about the rapid rise of tablets such as the Apple iPad and Blackberry Playbook. It hopes to examine what made these tablets popular and appealing, as well as to determine what (if any) future they have.

1. TABLETS: TRENDY GADGETS
OR MOBILE PCs?
By Jack Sullivan (@jackmsully)
Image by {Flixelpix} David - Flickr

2. 2010 was a banner
year for the tablet.
The touch screen
personal computers
(PCs) were the talk
of many tech
circles. With over
20 different tablets
planned for release
over the next two
years, people had
little time to
prepare themselves.
Image by ntr23- Flickr

3. A number of Samsung, HTC,
cellphone and HP, Motorola,
computer LG, Dell and
manufactures Toshiba have
have released all looked to
or plan to the
release tablets increasingly
that use popular
Google Inc.’s Android
Android system to help
operating them infiltrate
system. the tablet
market.
Image by Saad Irfan - Flickr

4. Research in Motion (RIM) recently entered the
tablet market by releasing the Blackberry
Playbook, a tablet aimed at the millions of
Blackberry smartphone owners world wide.
Image by Dennis Wong - Flickr

5. Last but certainly not
least there is Apple, whose
iPad and iPad 2 have
defined and dominated the
tablet market. There is no
denying the role that the
iPad has played in the
development of the tablet.
Image by Lost in Japan by Miguel Michan - Flickr

6. Many analysts suggest that Apple’s
tablet dominance will continue
iPads are forecasted to account for
64% of tablet sales in 2011, and a
Jeffries report suggests it will
continue to dominate, selling 82
million more units than its closest
competitor, Samsung, in 2014.
(Source: http://www.cultofmac.com/almost-no-one-is-even-considering-buying-an-android-tablet-over-ipad/95862)
Image by Stuck in Customs - Flickr

7. But if tablets are really
just fancy smartphones
with bigger screens,
then the important
question is... Image by LLudo - Flickr

8. What has fuelled the popularity of tablets?
Text

9. There is no denying the trendiness of
tablets. They are objects of affection for
many tech savvy individuals. The iPad
has begun to develop into a “status
symbol”, a product that is stylish, and
Image by Iceman9294 - Flickr
noticeable.
(Source: http://tablets-planet.com/2011/05/15/apples-ipad-app-treasure-chest-their-most-valuable-commodity-for-tablets/)

10. Ranging anywhere from $150 - $1,000
(depending on contracts and features), tablets
are relatively affordable when compared to
many smartphones and computers.
Source: 2011 Tablet Comparison Chart by groovyPost.com
They won’t cost you an arm
and a leg (or even a head).
Image by Solo - Flickr

11. Even though
laptops are always
getting thinner and
more compact...
Image by Travis Isaacs - Flickr

12. Image by Waferbaby - Flickr
...Tablets are successfully merging the mobility of a
smartphone with the familiarity of a laptop or
desktop, creating an intuitive portable experience
that is unique from other platforms.

13. And lets not forget that
most tablets can also store
and play a variety of music,
videos and games. Tablets
allow users to take their
digital content with them
in a quality that wasn’t
previously available.
Image by tartanpodcast - Flickr

14. Image by dview.,us - Flickr
Still, nothing has had as
significant an impact on the
popularity of tablets as
Apps.

15. There are currently over 65,000 apps
available for the iPad which cover
“work, play and everything in between”.
Some have speculated that this app-
vantage is the primary reason for Apple’s
tablet dominance.
(Source: Albert Madison - Tablets Planet)
Image by {Flixelpix} David - Flickr

16. Apps add a further
degree of customization
to tablets, broadening
their appeal while
helping individuals
develop their e-literacy.
Image by Alfred Hermida - Flickr

17. They encourage creativity
and individuality, while at
the same time providing
practicality and innovation.
Image by Arbron - Flickr

18. Image by ntr23- Flickr
Tablets have begun to play an
integral role in many different
areas of digital culture.

19. Tablets are
commonly used
for social
networking sites
such as Twitter
and Facebook. “In
2010, 3 million
tablets were
connected to the
mobile network
and data traffic
was 5 times more
than that of the
average
smartphone”
Source: MobiTV - How Mobile has Changed the Way We Live
Image by theboybg - Flickr

20. Many parents, teachers and
educators have discovered that
“touch screen technology is a
natural for toddlers”, which
has led to the development of
many apps aimed at early
childhood education
(Source: Rob Ferguson - iPhone Apps a Hit with Preschoolers)
Image by fritzon - Flickr

21. Tablets are also
becoming increasingly
common at the
University level. In a
study done by the
University of Notre
Dame, students who
had their textbooks
replaced by iPads found
that the tablets made
class more interesting,
encouraged exploration
of additional topics and
helped them manage
their time more
effectively.
Image by bensmithuk - Flickr (Source: Voxy Blog - Are We Wired for Mobile Learnng?)

22. So what does the future look like for
tablets and digital media consumers?
Image by Dunechaser - Flickr

23. “57% of consumers say they plan to by a tablet or an
E-reader in the next 3 years”
(Source: MobiTV - How Mobile Has Changed the Way We Live)
Image by iratxo.foto - Flickr

24. Image by the iconoclastic yet iconic ionic icon - Flickr
Tablets, which currently account for just over 1% of PC
sales, are forecasted to make up 23% of sales by 2015,
higher than both Desktop computers and Netbooks
(Source: Designers Couch - The Tablet Takeover)

25. Will tablets eventually
become an essential part of a
balanced digital breakfast, or
are they in danger of
reaching their expiry date?
Data suggests that
they are here to
stay, but ultimately
consumers will play
an integral part in
defining the role of
tablets in the future.
Image by Brendan Lynch - Flickr

26. THE END
Image by {Flixelpix} David - Flickr