MemeStreams | MemeStreams Discussion

Create an Account

This page contains all of the posts and discussion on MemeStreams referencing the following web page: The truth about tablets. You can find discussions on MemeStreams as you surf the web, even if you aren't a MemeStreams member, using the Threads Bookmarklet.

The truth about tablets
by Acidus at 6:00 pm EST, Mar 8, 2006

Microsoft is not passionate about Tablets. MS's marketing department is passionate about Tablets. They had a memory leak which causes XP Tablet edition to need a daily reboot which they refuse to patch for over a year! MS has created a .NET framework for compact devices that they themselves don't even use. So what's with this complete disconnect between MS's words and MS's actions when it comes to Tablets?

In case you couldn't tell MS is not Apple. They sell software. Don't be fooled by the XBox. Game consoles are the ulitmate example of selling hardware simply to sell more software. MS is and always will be a software company. For this reason it is not in Microsoft's interest to personally bootstrap the raise of the Tablet PC. Unlike the XBox, it doesn't position their technology into a new space. Why? Well what does everyone say Tablets will replace? Not laptops but that weird gray area of PDA/Cell Phone/gadgetry. Microsoft is already mature in this area; they are selling plenty of licenses for PDA style devices and cell phones. Changing all of those licenses into Tablet licenses doesn't make them any more money.

Since it doesn't create a new space for them MS would needto increase sales volumne to actually make money off a "Tablet revoltion." Since they aren't creating a new space, this means more people would need to buy tablets than cell phones when replacing older devices. Can you put a Tablet in your pocket? JaneLane can keep her Razr in her jeans, which I might add are tight sexy jeans with tiny non-functioning girl pockets! Have you seen pockets on girl's jeans? Crazy! It easy to say that Tablets, for the foreseeable future, are going to remain in an extreme niche market.

So if the economics of Tablets don't make sense, they why does MS seem to care about them much? Two reasons really:

1) MS is making sure that the devices which cause any market share gain for Tablets at the expense of PDAs or cell phones are running some Windows OS. The percentages of the licensing pie may change, but the overall pie stays the same.

2) Tablets are just a marketing campaign. MS throws enough resources at them to look cool and hip and trendy.

RE: The truth about tablets
by k at 1:05 pm EST, Mar 9, 2006

Acidus wrote:
...
1) MS is making sure that the devices which cause any market share gain for Tablets at the expense of PDAs or cell phones are running some Windows OS. The percentages of the licensing pie may change, but the overall pie stays the same.
2) Tablets are just a marketing campaign. MS throws enough resources at them to look cool and hip and trendy.

I agree with your analysis of MS's relationship with tablets.

I think the tablet pc is the platform with the most *potential* i've seen in a long time. The degree to which that potential is delivered up front depends a lot on what you do day to day. For most people, it's got very little appeal.

I've said before, and I'll repeat, I'd *love* a well designed tablet to take to meetings, so I can take notes that are as versatile as paper, but easier to manage. I'd love a device that can go from effectively off to online in about 3.5 seconds (anywhere) and provide a web experience that doesn't make me want to murder everyone around me. I'd like it to recieve phone calls via GSM or VOIP over WiFi, WiBRO, WiMax (transparently). I'd like to be able to read text on it for long periods of time, in a comfortable position (even laptops don't do so well for that).

That being said, no device does those things. Partially that's the fault of lacking infrastructure -- the wireless network(s) in this country leave much to be desired. Much of the technology hasn't matured -- convertables are too thick and bulky and try to be too much, the batteries don't last near long enough and sceen quality on more pure tablets is barely adequate.

Still, I don't think the problems are insurmountable, and I think the payoff will be great, once tablets are really ready. Say what you will about a RAZR fitting into a pair of (admittedly sexy) jeans... it doesn't do any of the things above, and can't. I'm resigned to my man-purse. Granted, I'm so anti things-in-my-pockets that even a razr would piss me off, but even so, I think a lot of people could justify the tradeoff of convenience for real utility. The utility just hasn't made it yet.

Oh well, in the meantime, maybe someone will make an e-ink based digital reader / ebook that doesn't look fucking retarded. That would tide me over for a good long time.