4 ms·

Right now they're pretty useless, I agree. But watch a couple clips for me: http://youtu.be/Jx7VNP5UO2k?t=5m9s http://youtu.be/Jx7VNP5UO2k?t=5m9s (at 5:09) ht

Right now they're pretty useless, I agree. But watch a couple clips for me: http://youtu.be/Jx7VNP5UO2k?t=5m9s http://youtu.be/Jx7VNP5UO2k?t=5m9s (at 5:09) http://youtu.be/5jzAAPccBaU?t=2m27s http://youtu.be/5jzAAPccBaU?t=2m27s (at 2:27) That's the future. That's when the tablet becomes extremely useful. Productive-yet-portable in a way a laptop can't be. What I think the Microsoft guys really nailed is that the tablet is ultimately just another tool. The "post-pc" era still has plenty of PC's in it; they just work alongside tablets and phones.

bitsoda 14y ago
I'll have a look at the videos once I get home. (Stuffy corporate stooge job)
riffraff 14y ago
I'm not sure what is supposed to be noticed in the second video, but the first one is basically already possible with current tablets, other than the "everything is transparent". I mean, there is no deep conceptual difference between something like leafsnap and what is shown there. But even looking at that, it still doesn't show why a tablet form factor (thinking >9" diagonal) is better for this things than something sized like a larger phone, or a foldable thingy like the (sadly dead) MS Courier.
- firefoxman1 14y ago
  The main difference I was getting at is thickness/weight. Tablets now are too heavy to carry around like a legal pad for long periods of time. When they become paper thin and aerogel-light, they'll be killer. Other than that, it's not so much the form factor that's different from now, it's the software. As awesome as Ubuntu Tablet is, I think all of our tablet OSes carry too many PC relics with them. The OS in those videos looks nothing like software now.
kunai 14y ago
> just another tool. The "post-pc" era still has plenty of PC's in it Exactly. When people cry about PC sales diminishing, I am in no way alarmed, because for some things PCs will always be required, such as CAD, programming, etc... As for the video, I don't think that sort of future is anywhere near us, especially not as soon as 2019. When you look how far technology has come since 2007, it hasn't really come THAT long of a way. Sure, smartphones have gotten bigger and all-touch, and tablets have increased in popularity and usability, but the general usage of technology is still the same. Especially when businesses are still using 90s technology like fax machines, I don't see it happening soon. 2030, perhaps, but 2019 is too soon.

bitsoda 14y ago

I'll have a look at the videos once I get home. (Stuffy corporate stooge job)

riffraff 14y ago

I'm not sure what is supposed to be noticed in the second video, but the first one is basically already possible with current tablets, other than the "everything is transparent". I mean, there is no deep conceptual difference between something like leafsnap and what is shown there. But even looking at that, it still doesn't show why a tablet form factor (thinking >9" diagonal) is better for this things than something sized like a larger phone, or a foldable thingy like the (sadly dead) MS Courier.

firefoxman1 14y ago
The main difference I was getting at is thickness/weight. Tablets now are too heavy to carry around like a legal pad for long periods of time. When they become paper thin and aerogel-light, they'll be killer. Other than that, it's not so much the form factor that's different from now, it's the software. As awesome as Ubuntu Tablet is, I think all of our tablet OSes carry too many PC relics with them. The OS in those videos looks nothing like software now.

kunai 14y ago

> just another tool. The "post-pc" era still has plenty of PC's in it Exactly. When people cry about PC sales diminishing, I am in no way alarmed, because for some things PCs will always be required, such as CAD, programming, etc... As for the video, I don't think that sort of future is anywhere near us, especially not as soon as 2019. When you look how far technology has come since 2007, it hasn't really come THAT long of a way. Sure, smartphones have gotten bigger and all-touch, and tablets have increased in popularity and usability, but the general usage of technology is still the same. Especially when businesses are still using 90s technology like fax machines, I don't see it happening soon. 2030, perhaps, but 2019 is too soon.