January, 2020 | Tablet PC Buzz

OK, so we have a little economic situation going on…maybe you’ve heard about it?

Since not only do I own TabletPCBuzz but also a company that just sells tablet PCs, I have been thinking a lot about what the current circumstances mean.

In the beginning (which I define as August 2003 when I started selling tablets) and through the beginning of last year, the majority of our customers were individuals. That doesn’t mean that they were using the tablet for personal use only, just that few organizations were deploying tablets company wide. Usually, it was a technology-loving executive that had enough juice to get a tablet instead of a laptop.

Since the 2nd quarter of 2008, we have seen a steady decline in individual purchases but a drastic increase in the number of companies who are purchasing multiple units for deployment. They are pairing tablets with software applications designed for their industry. The main industries we see using tablets are: construction, healthcare, inspection, appraisal and field service.

I’ll leave out healthcare for this discussion because I think that the other industries demonstrate why tablet PCs are here to stay. Have you ever seen a roofer use a regular hammer to put on a new roof? Probably not – a pneumatic nail gun does it much faster. Can you imagine a builder using a standard screwdriver to assemble framing? No way! They all use cordless electric drills.

The why is easy – using the right tool lets you do your work faster and better so you can make more money and finish jobs sooner. Tablet PCs are just another tool for these companies. They are used to replace yellow legal pads, inspection forms, work orders and all the other paper that slows down a business. Microsoft OneNote used to be the “killer app” for tablet PCs. I couldn’t have sold many without it. Now, however, few of our customers care about OneNote because they have an application for HVAC work orders or Property Adjustment inspection forms or Vehicle Repair logs that is specifically designed for their needs. As always, the software is what sells the hardware and tablet PCs as the ultimate tool for replacing paper forms has finally come to fruition.

We aren’t selling many tablets to people who want a shiny toy with some cool features. We are selling a lot of tablets to companies that can see the excellent return on investment provided by completing paperwork faster and more accurately while they are in the field.

In any economic situation, using technology to save (and make) money is just plain smart.

What is a tablet PC? The answer isn’t always easy to define and is being stretched and pulled by multitouch, pen based, capacitive touch and other forms of interacting with a PC that doesn’t depend on keyboard and mouse.

Ideum designs and creates interactive computer-based exhibits for museums and other organizations that want to create “experiences” for visitors that exceed those provided by more traditional touch screen kiosks.

It is a very cool looking device but I don’t know if it is Microsoft Surface or their own engineered device. You can see more information at www.ideum.com.…

Microsoft Tries to Nudge Tablet PCs Into the Mainstream, new HP convertible

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| PC, Tablet

Some two years after its introduction, Microsoft is seeking to drive its Tablet PC technology into the mainstream with lower prices. But some analysts say that alone won’t do the trick–and not many PC vendors are helping Microsoft’s effort.

Microsoft and vendors including Toshiba and Acer want to move beyond niche markets, so they will no longer target Tablet PCs chiefly at mobile professionals and specific industries such as health care and insurance. This year, both Acer and Toshiba will start selling tablets that are not as thin, light, or powerful as their predecessors, but that are up to 25 percent cheaper.

“We’re right on the verge of seeing a lot more competitively priced tablets on the market,” said Robert Williams, director of business development and partner engineering in Microsoft’s Mobile Platforms Division. “This spring, you will see tablets go into retail in the $1500 to $1600 price range.”

For the past year or so, Microsoft has been working with PC makers and component suppliers to push down the cost of manufacturing Tablet PCs, Williams said. As a result, the new tablets should only be $100 to $200 more expensive than comparable notebooks, he said.

Toshiba America plans to ship a new Tablet PC in its Satellite consumer and small business notebook line in the first quarter of this year. The $1599 Satellite R15-S822 will be the first Toshiba Tablet PC to be sold widely in retail stores, said Terry Cronin, director of product management in Toshiba’s digital products division.

“The market is expanding. Tablet is becoming just another feature on top of notebooks. 2005 is really a take-off point for going mainstream,” Cronin said.

Newcomer Averatec is ahead of the curve. The San Diego company in mid-2004 shipped a $1350 Tablet PC that is sold in retail stores. At Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington, several employees took a corporate credit card and bought all the Averatec machines on sale at a local Costco Wholesale store. ”

Looks like Acer is entering the Consumer market, as well.

“Acer, which has been selling Tablet PCs since the launch of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition in November 2002, later this year plans to join Toshiba and Averatec with a lower-cost Tablet PC, said Sumit Agnihotry, a product marketing manager at Acer America.

“What we’re heading to in 2005 is to drive Tablet PC to an optimal price point, basically bring Tablet PC to a traditional notebook price, and we believe that is below $1500,” Agnihotry said. Acer’s new Tablet PC may be sold in retail stores, a first for Acer, he said. ”

And here is a key bit of news for those looking for info on new HP Tablets:

“On February 2, HP plans to introduce two new Tablet PCs in its business notebook lineup. One of the devices will be the company’s first convertible notebook, a machine that resembles a traditional notebook but that has a screen that swivels around to support pen-based computing. The device will cost just over $2000, Mazzantini said. “

I’ve heard what this new convertible looks like. If its’ true, it’ll be hot!…

Brokers, agents, recorders key to paperless transaction

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| PC, PC News, Tablet

The power to make the paperless real estate transaction a reality is in the hands of real estate brokers, agents and county recorders, according to panelists in an Inman News audio conference on the subject Wednesday.

“On the front end, in terms of the real estate side, there is no barrier to entry. It’s legal, it’s valid, it’s being practiced today,” said Dan Tealdi, chief executive officer of Criterion’s REDTablet, a tablet PC company. “We need to see county recorders adopt technology on the title side.”

While fellow panelist Brad Dick, senior vice president of document storage firm Zodas, agreed, the third panelist on the “Paperless Real Estate Transaction” online conference went one step further.

Asked if there is actual demand on the part of buyers and sellers for the paperless transaction, Lorenzini gave a qualified “yes.”

“You’re talking about millions of transactions going on. Only a fraction of those are demanding it, but a fraction of millions is still a large number,” DocuSign’s CEO said. “Mortgage brokers, agents all believe this is inevitable. A year or two or three from now everyone’s going to be signing electronically.”

Seattle-based DocuSign’s product makes it possible for a buyer or seller to sign documents using only a PC, without additional hardware such as a stylus, from any location. REDTablet, owned by San Bruno, Calif.-based Criterion, makes tablet PCs that can capture a signature done with a stylus and apply that signature electronically to documents in a transaction.”…