Let's face it, when it comes to portable electronic equipment, things happen. Bad things. Things that make people who love technology very sad! Here are some examples: As you mix sugar into your large coffee, your elbow impacts the cup and causes it to spill into your laptop Some knucklehead isn't paying attention and trips over your power cord causing it to crash to the floor You remember to get your luggage, but forget your tablet computer in a taxi How do I know about these things? You guessed it - they have all happened to me over the years. So what to do? Prayer? Call on St. Anthony (patron saint of list items)? Go back to paper and pen? One of the best and, surprisingly, least expensive solutions is to purchase insurance. Many manufacturers sell this at the time of purchase but my research shows this to be the most expensive option. Next is a company liek Safeware that offers accidental damage, theft and other protection on any kind of mobile device. This is a good option but, depending on your circumstances, might not be the cheapest. Your first phone call should be to your existing insurance company. If you are a homeowner, you probably already have protection on computer equipment that stays in your home. I called State Farm, my insurer, and we're protected up to $5,000. But not if the tablet computer is taken out of the house (like to work, on vacation, etc.). I had ready about Personal Articles protection and so I asked Melanie, my rep, some questions. For just $2.20 per $100 of value, I would have no deductible and get the following coverage: Fire Theft Lightning Mysterious disappearance (yes, that is what they call it) Freak accidents (again, their terminology) So, for just $44/year for a computer valued at $2,000 I would be covered. That is well worth it IMHO. If you have had experiences getting insurance or filing a claim for a broken/missing/damaged, let me hear about it. The good, the bad and the ugly.
Updated Today at 09:56 AM by John Hill
As with many things in life, what is bad for one person or group is good for another. Rain might ruin your vacation but farmers are happy for the help it brings their crops. Going back to school is lamented by the children but a joyous day for the parents. In the same way, a lame economy and resulting 'jobless recovery' might be just what is needed for Tablet Computers. Let me give you an example: Alpha Heating & Air Conditioning Company has twelve HVAC technicians that go out on the road every day to service customers. There used to be 15 techs but since business slowed down in 2008, three guys got laid off. As the economy slowly recovers, business is starting to pick up. After all, commercial HVAC units need regular service and while you can delay it, eventually repairs or maintenance is needed. The techs are very busy and the owner could justify putting another person on the road because he is paying overtime to his existing crew. But hiring another technician means salary and benefits of around $60K and purchasing a new truck for another $60K with all the necessary equipment. Now, think about Alpha HVAC from the owner's point of view. Is it better, in this uncertain economy, to hire another technician that you have to train, pay for skyrocketing healthcare benefits and manage or is it better to invest in a technology solution that will bring benefits that will be seen for years? Obviously, this is a question that each business has to answer for itself. I can tell you that we are seeing businesses choose to invest in technology ($40K for 12 rugged tablets, $60K for industry-specific software, $20K for training and support = the same cost for a technician the first year) that provides an ongoing return on their investment. If a technician doesn't have to go to the office for paperwork (it is emailed back and forth or available instantly with a web-based application), gets customers billed for every part used (by barcoding all parts), and allows the repairmen to capture customer signatures when work is complete (active digitizer), then an investment in tablet hardware makes sense. In an effort to wring even greater efficiencies out of existing resources, tablet computers can be an important component.
Updated Today at 09:57 AM by John Hill
There has been plenty of discussion lately around the question of what exactly is a Tablet Computer. Is it an eReader? Does it have to offer handwriting recognition? What size is too small to be called a tablet? Can it make phone calls? What OS? Windows? Linux? Apple? Android? Pen touch or finger touch? Or both? I received an email the other day from a company that makes rugged tablet computers. What struck me most about the email was a graphic of their products next to each other. Here it is: DLI makes mobile devices for various types of users: The small one is the DLI 8800 Mobile Point of Sale Tablet which can do credit card scanning, barcode reading and contactless payment. The next larger is the DLI 8400, a rather bizarre/futuristic looking thing with an Atom processor and a 7" display. Moving on up the line is the DLI 8300 which has the appearance of what I would call a more "traditional" tablet form factor. The 8.4" display and Windows OS is more typical. The last is a computer that can be mounted in a bulldozer, police car or ambulance. I'm not trying to talk about this specific manufacturer. I am trying to show that a tablet computer can only be broadly defined as a "mobile computer that allows the user to interact with a stylus or finger". It could be an iPad, a Lenovo convertible tablet, a Motion Computing slate, an Asus netbook/convertible or a DLI tablet computer. More important than the name or the form factor is the way it is used. Maybe it can be defined by DLI's website tagline: Computing without boundaries Your thoughts?
What is the point of having multitouch on a standard size tablet computer? I can't ever recall seeing a demonstration of the feature that didn't show someone spinning and resizing photos - AND THAT'S IT! Unless that is part of what you do for a living, like a radiologist customer of mine, I just don't get it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against multitouch. Heck, I've owned an iPhone for 3 years. But multitouch on a smartphone-sized device makes sense. There is no pen to scroll through lists and if you want to see a picture, website or other information in detail you have to make it larger because smartphones have small displays. But a tablet computer has a large display. If I open a photo or a document, I can see it easily. I have no need to make it larger, and if I do, I use the pen/mouse. I am asked all the time by customers about having this feature on their new tablet when the software application they are using isn't compatible. Programs like Electronic Medical Records, Inspection Software, eForms solutions and others are already making use of the full display. Even if the tablet has multitouch, the doctor can't pinch and expand to zoom in on a particular area because the program doesn't support it. For my money, I'd rather have a bright, crisp, outdoor viewable display that reduces reflection and makes 8 hours of computer use a day easier on the eyes. But that's just me. PLEASE TELL ME WHY I AM WRONG! Let me know how multitouch is making your life better. Here are some more photos of people pointlessly using the amazing multitouch feature: To see even more, try this Google image search.
While checking Google News for the latest on Tablet PCs, I saw a sponsored link at the top of the page: Clicking on the link, I was taken to the Sears website here: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/s_10153_1...aptops_Tablets Apparently, Sears defines a tablet computer as being either an eReader or an Apple iPad with a Toshibs M780 thrown in for good measure, at least according to their Page 1 listings. Page 2 saw more traditional tablet computers like the HP Pavilion, Lenovo X201T and Fujitsu 2020. IMHO, it is pointless for us as dedicated tabletphiles to try and define what is and what is not a tablet computer. The is the USA and the marketplace, both of consumers and businesses, will define it for us.
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