If you try researching how people use smartphones and tablets, you’ll probably come up with the following:
- smartphones are almost only for content consumption while on-the-go
- tablets are almost only for content consumption in a more static context (couch surfing, anyone?).
I agree that I rarely produce content on my phone, except for communication – email, WhatsApp, Twitter, whatever. I’m pretty sure it’s the same for everyone.
Now think about this: what kind of content does Average Joe produce? Communication and… not much else.
While I hate writing a lengthy email on my phone, I tolerate it on my tablet. Let’s say that booting my PC is just not worth it. I’m pretty sure it’s the same for everyone. The only thing that you still can’t do on a tablet is, probably, something as complex as downloading your vacation pictures from your camera and uploading them to Facebook. But, if you think about it, it’s a problem as long as you use a separate device to take pictures. I bet smartphones are going to win, as they’re just more convenient and easy to use, and they’re almost as good as cameras at taking pictures. It’s a matter of time.
Some argue that tablets have killed the abomination commonly known as the netbook. It’s probably true. Try to remember the last time you’ve seen someone using – or eve owning – a netbook. They were a mirage of the “one PC on every lap” creed. Only, they lost to tablets.
Now, what can’t Average Joe do with a tablet, except the above-mentioned photo-uploading-from-camera-to-Facebook? Nothing.
Truth is, tablets are for producing content. Not any content, but most. I’d argue, all content Average Joe can imagine to produce. If you use mass transit, you’ll see lots of people with tablets. Reading, mostly, but some writing too – and they do this on a crowded train or subway. Microsoft got this right, and Surface’s Touch Cover is clever and covers (sic) the last missing bit between awkward and comfortable content production.
If you factor in battery duration, ease of interaction (touch!) and portability… tablets are going to win under every aspect.
PCs are going to become less common, and thus more expensive. But I already wrote about that:
Over time, we’ll switch from a world dominated by PCs capable of running just about anything, to a world of web-enabled devices. The only problem is that there will always be a part of the users that will need powerful computers. Developers, designers, architects, engineers, and so on. With PCs sales shrinking, PCs will get more and more expensive, and that will be a problem because if now with €2,000 you can get a monster PC, that will no longer be true in some years from now.