Android Tablet

For the better part of a decade, mobile phone carriers have made money by enticing users into long term contracts in exchange for subsidized pricing on cutting edge technology. At first it was all mobile phones, then smart phones, and in recent years the burgeoning netbook computer market.

So, it’s no surprise that many mobile carriers are concerned about the recent trend in computing – with iPad sales having a direct impact on netbooks, devices that are traditional sold as a third or even fourth computing option.

If it wasn’t so frustrating to see the tablet space completely dominated by the iPad (for now), it might be amusing to see the flip flopping done by netbook manufacturers like MSI and Acer, who at first were okay with the growth in the tablet market, but now are seeing it affect demand for their products.

Just yesterday, reports surfaced that Acer is concerned about the telecom demand for Tablet PCs. In the last two years especially, netbooks have been a primary way of selling the MiFi and mobile Internet packages which can equal or even exceed the monthly fees charged for just telephone service. Those fees represented the largest single growth opportunity for the telecoms.

But, the iPad has cut into that tremendously. We may never know how much the iPad has actually cannibalized those sales (estimates range from the extreme of Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn claiming 50% of netbook/notebook sales were being devoured, to more reasonable estimates of 15% from industry research groups), but we do know that the rush is on to tap into that market and no industry has a more vested interest than the telecoms who are intent on offering Internet access for mobile devices with their 3G and recently developed 4G/WiMax networks.

What’s interesting in all this is the fact that, in truth, there are not that many devices yet on the platter for telecom release. The Samsung Galaxy Tab is finally hitting store shelves in a few weeks, and Acer plans to have  their Tablet PC available by the end of November, but even Acer is foregoing Android in its first batch in favour Windows– not a bad trade off, but not the ideal solution for consumer devices either.

Right now, I think anything that helps spread tablet computing into the mass market is a good thing, provided that the devices being produced are not rushed just to meet telecom demand. I’m not insinuating that Acer’s first tablet outing will be a poor one, but it feels like they’re a little late out of the gate and I hope it doesn’t sour consumes on the potential of more powerful tablet PCs.

There is room for growth throughout the tablet market, and while there is some room to worry that Apple will continue to dominate the fledgling market, cooler heads and more powerful devices will hopefully prevail – telecom companies will get their contracts and users will have their mobile devices. The question now is how ill provide them.

Right now, with a slew of new tablet releases making headlines around the globe, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the TegaV2, as well as a number of still planned releases from netbook giants Acer and MSI, the bulk of discussion has been about how this new consumer demand will play out over the next five years or so.

And while the hardware being manufactured is increasingly powerful, allowing people to do things never before possible with mobile devices, I’m interested in what an effective tablet OS really looks like. Can a tablet be truly effective for enterprise users, or even advanced household users, if it’s just a ramped up version of an OS developed for mobile phones.

The iOS is a perfect example – a software system that, while deemed restrictive by many iPhone users, still provides a decent user experience, and yet on a tablet seems much more stifling. But, there are more than just “closed OS” issues on the tablet market right now. Recent issues have developed with the open model used by Google for their Android OS.

Since Android is available for licensing and free use for any manufacturer that meets technical requirements with their devices, the OS is appearing on a wide array of devices – including advanced devices like the Galaxy Tab and extremely budget devices like the GenTouch Latte being sold for less than $200.

But, most consumers don’t know the difference between the different versions of Android, leading to issues between Google and manufacturers when devices make it appear that users will have access to the Android Marketplace and clearly do not.

What Should an OS Offer?

So, the big question now is what an OS needs to offer to be effective for a tablet device. What does a tablet need that a smart phone does not? To start with, it should be flexible. It should allow users to type naturally, input data manually (with or without stylus) and access the same software they are used to using on their desktop.

The iOS does not do these things and right now Android is working on it. With Gingerbread recently announced and a handful of tablets on tap from Motorola and Acer this November or December, we will soon see how the 3.0 OS from Google handles more advanced applications. Of course, we must remember that this is still an OS developed first and foremost for phones and while tablets are becoming more common and are likely figuring into the equation, Google knows where the demand is at the moment.

So, what is the solution? Honestly, I don’t think anyone knows just yet. For me, having access to advanced applications through Windows is a must on a tablet, and software like Thinix can make it more intuitive on a touch screen. It remains to be seen how the new RIM operating system will handle the PlayBook or how Gingerbread will perform, but we know one thing for sure – tablets are becoming more mainstream and whether these OS developers realize it or not, their software will need to cater to more than just casual users and entertainment apps in the very near future if they want to remain successful. 

Interestingly one solution that is sparking interest comes from Tegatech in the newly released TEGA v2. It is the first Tablet in the world to offer both Windows 7 and Android in one device. It's called “dual-boot” and while it's not quite perfect, it provides a solution for many users. On the Windows side users have access to all their preferred Microsoft Applications, and on the Android side battery life is optimized and the touch experience enhanced through Android. Again I don’t know if this is the perfect choice but it sure opens the TEGA v2 to a breadth of usage scenarios not available prior to its release. 

For a while now Citrix has been a company devoted to helping businesses build IT infrastructures that make sense. Right now, cloud computing is what makes sense. It is more dynamic, more efficient, and can adjust to a business’s specific growth needs when necessary.

But, just because cloud computing makes more sense for corporations in theory, doesn’t mean it always works. Citrix developed OpenCloud to deal with those security issues. To me, this is the only company that truly has a handle on what cloud computing needs to look like to be effective in an enterprise setting. That’s why I think it would be such a good fit with many tablet PCs and mobile devices in the enterprise space.

Right now, cloud computing is very exciting – a lot of new ideas are being developed, and while time shall tell how much a part of an IT infrastructure it can become, I personally see it as a stepping stone to more fluid, adaptive technology use in almost any industry.