Tablets
Tablets are coming and they are maybe going to conquer the world.
I think Paul Graham is right about much of what he says in his article about tablets. Tablets are going to change things. Many people, including myself, have much of their lives on their pocket tablets (smartphones). Calendar, friends, social networks, the web, music etc. If you scale this up to a larger tablet, what else could you fit?
Ideally I would be controlling my home and life from my iPhone. Control music and TV, heat, food and lights. Schedule appointments, browse the web, take notes, communicate.
But who will rule the tablet world in the future? Apple? Google? RIM? Me?
Will Apple rule with the iPad or will someone develop a platform to compete with them? My idea would be a software platform for which you could sell different hardware. The hardware design needs are different in a home, a school, a hospital and a construction site. With only one platform to learn more developers can create apps and more unsexy apps will be developed. Android is doing a bit of this but I see a problem with the wide differences in android devices. Manufacturers making their own design elements and using different aspect ratios. iOS is easier. Only two screen sizes to design for.
I will end this with a few ideas for tablet apps (off which some might already exist):
- Replace my notepads in school. Carrying around a whole bunch of notepads is not very 2010. They take up much space in your bag, you can’t search your notes. You can run out of pages. You can’t rearrange notes after writing them. Halfway trough you might see another way of organizing them would have been better.
- When you are at it replace School literature with a tablet. Less books to carry. Searchable.
- Schedule appointments. Look trough everyones calendar, find a time and a spot and book it. Additional features: Find a free conference room, book a table at a restaurant.
- Control music and TV in my home. Never leave the couch. Have my music follow me when I change room. Let me select my mode and play appropriate music.
