Benefits of Tablet PCs in business
What is a tablet PC?
A tablet PC is a wireless personal computer (PC) that is very similar to a ‘notebook’. It could be extremely useful to mobile business professionals due its size and weight.
This modern technology’s primary function is taking notes, using natural handwriting with a stylus or digital pen on a touch screen. However it is also functioned to be used as a personal computer, equipped with a Microsoft programme such as Windows Operating System (OS) – primarily XP or better.
There are two types of Tablet PC’s available, a convertible model with an integrated keyboard and display that rotates 180 degrees and can be folded down over the keyboard, or a slate style which includes a removable keyboard.
What are the benefits of Tablet PC’s?
1. Mobility: Mobile PC’s can be used anywhere you go. Because of its extremely lightweight and handy characteristics, they can be used standing up or sitting down.
2. Flat working surface: The form factor and convertible design characteristic of a tablet PC means it can be laid flat on any working surface. This facilitates better presentations and personalised interactions with people. It's perfect for sales meetings, or any meeting in which you don't want technology to interfere with the personal dynamic. You can sit across the table from someone and take notes without having your PC act as a dividing wall.
3. Electronic input power: Notes can be taken during any business meeting or conference, which are classed as electronic inputs. These are basically handwritten notes that can be stored, accessed, reviewed, reorganised and synchronised with inputs in other formats to modernise work and create superior output.
4. Truly personal: The Tablet PC “puts the ‘P’ back into PC”. You can express yourself with your own handwriting. This will be your individual effort. The technology comes with Microsoft Office Outlook and MSN Messenger where you can send handwritten notes and drawings. You could also add your handwritten signature to the end of your e-mails.
5. Take notes easily: You have the ability to jot down notes quickly, as if it were a notepad and pen. It eliminates the worry of losing paper or having to search through heaps of pages for the right one. Because they're electronic, you can reorganise your notes and search them later. With Microsoft Office OneNote you can coordinate your notes with audio recordings and presentations.
What are the disadvantages of Tablet PCs?
1. A tablet PC is generally more expensive than the mature technology of laptops, although prices are coming down slightly since they were first introduced (and are likely to come down further with the emergence of Apple’s iPad).
2. The ‘handwriting-to-text’ conversion does not always work the way we would like it to. Tablet PCs recognise a trained penmanship easier than the way you may write naturally. Just like speech-to-text systems it requires a trained style of speech to work properly.
3. The size may also be a disadvantage. As they are smaller than laptops this clearly means that the screen is smaller, possibly reducing the visibility function that laptops can provide. The keyboards are also smaller which could prove difficult for some people who already struggle with a laptop keyboard.
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