I must say I have not been particulary interested in a tablet computer, for all the normal reasons. Mostly, “why not grab a laptop?” comes to mind. And yet, I’m excited about the event in a couple days because I’m quite sure that tablets will indeed make sense once we see the big picture. Ironically, the same companies that have already built tablet computers will rush to copy Apple’s device, and in less than a year those, too, will make a lot more sense.
I wonder if the iPhone has been the true motivator for a tablet. I don’t know about you, but if I’m sitting comfortably in a chair with an iPhone, it is pretty hard to get up to go to another room to get on the web. I spend a lot of time reading that tiny screen, because it is so convenient.
Laptops, meanwhile, have become these bulky, ponderous devices that hardly balance on a lap. Hardly anyone buys a big (and cheap these days!) desktop screen, but they tend to buy the largest laptop they can. So much for portable, or comfortable.
So there might be a niche, even if a small one, JUST for reading online with a tablet. What will be interesting, is to see what else is coming with this tablet device. Because I suspect handy reading and a nice size is only a fraction of what this device will be about…
