Am I Wrong To Doubt Tablet Computing?
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Given Apple's astounding sales and the recent committment made by Microsoft I know the question is a bit bizarre. Many people consider the question already completely answered, and I can respect that point of view. However, I'm still in teh doubters camp - not so much about the current success but about the long term viability of tablets. To me the whole thing is still just a fad. Let me explain myself. 1: The typical PC form factor has been with us for at least 30 years and I think the reason it's enjoyed such a long streak is because it works. Laptops and notebooks have been with us for nearly as long - again, because they work. So when I call the tablet a fad I mean in comparison to more traditional form factors. 2: Traditional form factors allow for an incredible amount of customization. Different screen sizes, keyboards, mice, speakers - tons of peripherals, etc. People like cutomization beyond the color of the case - ergonomic customization is important. 3: The Microsoft Surface can ship with a keyboard. To me this suggests the tablet has a deficiency. I don't understand why someone would get a tablet with keyboard when they could get a ridiculously thin Mac Air with the keyboard (and more functionality). 4: It's true that a tablet can be used in the medical field for very specialized purposes but that has been true of medical devices since the flashlight was re-imagined as a device to peer up someone's nose. In short, just as the little nose looker thingies didn't replace flashlights I don't see the tablet replacing netbooks. This post isn't about hating on tablets, Apple, or the Surface. I think they're really slick devices but anytime I consider buying one I cannot get past the question of Why? I think in 5 years we'll all look back on the so-called post-PC era and LOL.
When I took my current job with the school district I work for, I knew I needed something more portable than the laptop they gave me. As a campus technician, I'm responsible for maintaining all of the technology on at least five different campuses and troubleshooting any issues they run into. Occasionally I also work on other projects like site surveys for upcoming technology installs. My tablet has seriously exploded the level of productivity I'm capable of in all of these areas. I got an ASUS Transformer TF300T with a Tegra 3 quad core processor, 1GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. It's currently running Android 4.1.1. I did not get the optional detachable keyboard but, as I found out, I really don't need it. The on-screen keyboard is a lot more usable than I thought it would be. So what have I used it for? The digital classroom project involves installed an audio system in the drop ceiling, an interactive HD projector on the wall above the dry-erase board, electrical conduit and receptacles, and a number of connections below the board for various other pieces of technology. The site survey for this required pictures of the room, the board, and the space above the ceiling from several angles, measurements, and detailed notes for every classroom it went into. At the end of each survey, the pictures and the notes needed to be put into a report with a specific format, meaning a word document with a table that had a column for room numbers, one for pictures, and one for notes broken into a bullet point list. Instead of lugging around a laptop, a camera, and a tape measure, all I used were the tablet and the tape measure. I created the report on the tablet, took the pictures with the tablet and had them automatically placed in the right place in the report, and typed up my notes and measurements right there. No arm strain, no worry of running out of battery, no extraneous baggage or bulk. I would then upload the entire report from my tablet into our web-based file system where everyone could access it. When I'm working my tickets, I log into the ticketing system from my tablet, access stored documents on a shared drive on my laptop which I set up in a central location and leave there as I go about my business, keep track of appointments using a widget on my home screen that syncs with my outlook calendar, reset passwords and manage Active Directory user and computer accounts with ActiveDir Manager, generate network maps for subnets I'm troubleshooting devices on and ping or tracero
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I completely disagree. Tablets, in the sense that we know them a week ago (iPads) will not replace the common laptop; however, tablets as we're redefining them today will. I use a netbook currently (4G Ram, Dual Core, decent hard drive) as my main development and mobile computing device. I found that laptops, regardless of form factor, are too large and bulky to truly be mobile (unless you like the idea of giant "man purses" and permanent backpack apparel). When I get in front of a screen, I plug in. When I get in front of a keyboard, I plug in. I use it both as a desktop and a netbook. It gives me "enough" computing power to develop software, and is portable enough that I don't mind taking it with me. All that said, I would trade it in a heartbeat for a W8Pro tablet. If this were to happen, my habits of plugging in whenever I have the opportunity would not change, but what would change is that my convenience factor when on the go would increase 10 fold. I could have access to all my important files, my development environment, my designer environment, and my entertainment wherever I was, whenever I wanted. Compare that to a modern notebook computer. Yes, the screen is smaller, so if you have bad eyesight, I suppose that could be an issue, BUT, modern notebooks are generally underpowered graphics-wise, and tablets will be no different. Modern notebooks get hot, while tablets are not known for this. Notebooks can't be quickly turned on and touched to accomplish something quickly when on the go, and you certainly won't be using them while moving. Tablets you can. The notebook for most of us professionals (that have decent eyesight) is on its way out. I wouldn't have said that had W8 Pro not been envisioned, but being that it's here, we can see a glimpse into what the future of computing is going to look like on the go. That doesn't mean I'm giving up my desktop, mind you. The ultimate question when considering that has to be asked: "Yeah, but does it play Crysis?" No, it doesn't, and as long as a modern video card is 3-5x the depth of a tablet, it won't.
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thoiness wrote:
I completely disagree.
Typo? Because your explanation is in full agreement to what I wrote.
Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. ~ George Washington
Perhaps more of a misunderstanding of what you wrote. On the one hand, you stated that it will never replace laptops, and on the other hand you stated for some it could serve as a replacement. My ADD must have kicked in on the second half. Perhaps mine was an elaboration of what you were trying to convey, and I just didn't catch it. :~
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based on our business here, tablets(ipads, whatever) are handy for salespeople, bosses and managers to view reports on the fly, stay mobile with emails and whatnot. For hardcore work, its desktop all the way here. I think they have their place, and as apps get developed for them, maybe more places open up. However, I think development work will always(for the near future at least) be done on more conventional pc's of some sort. Just my opinion.
I'm beginning to hate the news...the world was much nicer when I was illiterate Be careful which toes you step on today, they might be connected to the foot that kicks your butt tomorrow. You can't scare me, I have children.
If you think the tablet is going anywhere OR that the PC / Laptop is dead you're delusional. I think it's easy to forget, as professional content creators, that there are different groups with different needs. Every non-content creator I know that has a tablet loves it. My wife has spent more time with her iPad in the last 3 years than with me during our 20 year marriage. Why? She can read her book before going to sleep, watch a movie on the train or read her email in the loo. It fits in her purse and lasts all day. And it just works. She doesn't need me to run it and she likes that (too much I think) On the flip side, the form factor prevents 'serious' work from being done. My desktop at work is 4960 x 1600 spread across 3 monitors. Not very portable but very efficient for work. I heard a great analogy once comparing computing devices to vehicles. PCs / Laptops are like Trucks. Tablets like cars. Really, most people don't need a truck, hence all the cars but not many trucks. But the people who need a truck, really do need a truck. That is why there are still trucks. Looks like we're all truck drivers. =p And this is why neither are going away - they both serve a purpose. I think it is important to remember that just because it makes no sense to you, doesn't mean it doesn't make any sense to someone else.
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Given Apple's astounding sales and the recent committment made by Microsoft I know the question is a bit bizarre. Many people consider the question already completely answered, and I can respect that point of view. However, I'm still in teh doubters camp - not so much about the current success but about the long term viability of tablets. To me the whole thing is still just a fad. Let me explain myself. 1: The typical PC form factor has been with us for at least 30 years and I think the reason it's enjoyed such a long streak is because it works. Laptops and notebooks have been with us for nearly as long - again, because they work. So when I call the tablet a fad I mean in comparison to more traditional form factors. 2: Traditional form factors allow for an incredible amount of customization. Different screen sizes, keyboards, mice, speakers - tons of peripherals, etc. People like cutomization beyond the color of the case - ergonomic customization is important. 3: The Microsoft Surface can ship with a keyboard. To me this suggests the tablet has a deficiency. I don't understand why someone would get a tablet with keyboard when they could get a ridiculously thin Mac Air with the keyboard (and more functionality). 4: It's true that a tablet can be used in the medical field for very specialized purposes but that has been true of medical devices since the flashlight was re-imagined as a device to peer up someone's nose. In short, just as the little nose looker thingies didn't replace flashlights I don't see the tablet replacing netbooks. This post isn't about hating on tablets, Apple, or the Surface. I think they're really slick devices but anytime I consider buying one I cannot get past the question of Why? I think in 5 years we'll all look back on the so-called post-PC era and LOL.
Its all about content consumption and content creation. Tablets are optimized for content consumption. For small amounts of content creation (e.g. email, tweaking documents, adjusting pictures, basic video editing, etc.), a tablet can present a user interface that is acceptable, if not optimal. There are even some content creation actions where a tablet is an optimal input device (e.g. creating digital artwork). For significant content creation, traditional input devices are still preferable to most people. For example, I can't see writing lengthy documents with an on-screen keyboard as a viable option (well, not if I value my time, which I do). However, the two will blur together, with tablets becoming useable for both, althrough perhaps in different modes and with different input modes. The Surface is an example of such a product, my Razr phone with HDMI out and USB device master capability is a better example. Yes, we'll all lool back and LOL, but not because tablets were a dumb idea, but because we had to own several devices to optimize our phone, content consumption and content creation experiences. Check out Ubuntu for Android, that's along the direction of where we're headed.
We can program with only 1's, but if all you've got are zeros, you've got nothing.
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You may be right, AspDotNetDev. I cannot know the future; however, I'd guess what we'll get is a 'netbook' (with full featured OS) that has a touch screen and built in keyboard. I say that because having more than we need is actually the status quo. :-D Continue with the trend of price lowering/competition and it's a logical place to take this thing. Future: Oh look, my tablet has an attached keyboard. Of course, at what point does a tablet become a netbook? Is a tablet a netbook with a detachable keyboard?
In that case you've got a "Surface" -- it's a netbook all right, especially the full-on Windows one... and the keyboard is separate: it attaches magnetically. I think that pretty much covers this idea... let's see if anyone buys them. Apparently, the top-level one has 128 Mb of Flash in it... one wonders if this will be enough.
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A previous company I was with gave me a tablet for R&D... I hated it and couldn't use it at all. I knew another guy for a scientific research firm who received one. He hated it as well. So, my conclusion is that for people doing real computing work... tablets are useless. For people looking for entertainment, they are great. That is the only distinction I can see... one is a tool, one is a toy. And the intertainment industry is not going anywhere. I bet tablets are here to stay, but so are the PCs.
Becarefull with the "Toy" remark. I remember when they used to call Mac's "Toy Computers"
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Given Apple's astounding sales and the recent committment made by Microsoft I know the question is a bit bizarre. Many people consider the question already completely answered, and I can respect that point of view. However, I'm still in teh doubters camp - not so much about the current success but about the long term viability of tablets. To me the whole thing is still just a fad. Let me explain myself. 1: The typical PC form factor has been with us for at least 30 years and I think the reason it's enjoyed such a long streak is because it works. Laptops and notebooks have been with us for nearly as long - again, because they work. So when I call the tablet a fad I mean in comparison to more traditional form factors. 2: Traditional form factors allow for an incredible amount of customization. Different screen sizes, keyboards, mice, speakers - tons of peripherals, etc. People like cutomization beyond the color of the case - ergonomic customization is important. 3: The Microsoft Surface can ship with a keyboard. To me this suggests the tablet has a deficiency. I don't understand why someone would get a tablet with keyboard when they could get a ridiculously thin Mac Air with the keyboard (and more functionality). 4: It's true that a tablet can be used in the medical field for very specialized purposes but that has been true of medical devices since the flashlight was re-imagined as a device to peer up someone's nose. In short, just as the little nose looker thingies didn't replace flashlights I don't see the tablet replacing netbooks. This post isn't about hating on tablets, Apple, or the Surface. I think they're really slick devices but anytime I consider buying one I cannot get past the question of Why? I think in 5 years we'll all look back on the so-called post-PC era and LOL.
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If you think the tablet is going anywhere OR that the PC / Laptop is dead you're delusional. I think it's easy to forget, as professional content creators, that there are different groups with different needs. Every non-content creator I know that has a tablet loves it. My wife has spent more time with her iPad in the last 3 years than with me during our 20 year marriage. Why? She can read her book before going to sleep, watch a movie on the train or read her email in the loo. It fits in her purse and lasts all day. And it just works. She doesn't need me to run it and she likes that (too much I think) On the flip side, the form factor prevents 'serious' work from being done. My desktop at work is 4960 x 1600 spread across 3 monitors. Not very portable but very efficient for work. I heard a great analogy once comparing computing devices to vehicles. PCs / Laptops are like Trucks. Tablets like cars. Really, most people don't need a truck, hence all the cars but not many trucks. But the people who need a truck, really do need a truck. That is why there are still trucks. Looks like we're all truck drivers. =p And this is why neither are going away - they both serve a purpose. I think it is important to remember that just because it makes no sense to you, doesn't mean it doesn't make any sense to someone else.
MASS Productions wrote:
If you think the tablet is going anywhere OR that the PC / Laptop is dead you're delusional.
Where did I insinuate either one? I basically said that they all have their place depending on what your use is.
I'm beginning to hate the news...the world was much nicer when I was illiterate Be careful which toes you step on today, they might be connected to the foot that kicks your butt tomorrow. You can't scare me, I have children.
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MASS Productions wrote:
If you think the tablet is going anywhere OR that the PC / Laptop is dead you're delusional.
Where did I insinuate either one? I basically said that they all have their place depending on what your use is.
I'm beginning to hate the news...the world was much nicer when I was illiterate Be careful which toes you step on today, they might be connected to the foot that kicks your butt tomorrow. You can't scare me, I have children.
lol, well, obviously that statement doesn't apply to you, it's conditional. Specifically, I was addressing anyone in the audience. It seems like there were a lot of replies and I imagine even more readers.
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lol, well, obviously that statement doesn't apply to you, it's conditional. Specifically, I was addressing anyone in the audience. It seems like there were a lot of replies and I imagine even more readers.
ah you must have meant to post under another post maybe? I only replied since you had replied directly to mine.
I'm beginning to hate the news...the world was much nicer when I was illiterate Be careful which toes you step on today, they might be connected to the foot that kicks your butt tomorrow. You can't scare me, I have children.
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ah you must have meant to post under another post maybe? I only replied since you had replied directly to mine.
I'm beginning to hate the news...the world was much nicer when I was illiterate Be careful which toes you step on today, they might be connected to the foot that kicks your butt tomorrow. You can't scare me, I have children.
Yes, it was just a general 2 cents being added to the conversation. My poor operation of the new interface apparently culminated in it being attached to your response.
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Given Apple's astounding sales and the recent committment made by Microsoft I know the question is a bit bizarre. Many people consider the question already completely answered, and I can respect that point of view. However, I'm still in teh doubters camp - not so much about the current success but about the long term viability of tablets. To me the whole thing is still just a fad. Let me explain myself. 1: The typical PC form factor has been with us for at least 30 years and I think the reason it's enjoyed such a long streak is because it works. Laptops and notebooks have been with us for nearly as long - again, because they work. So when I call the tablet a fad I mean in comparison to more traditional form factors. 2: Traditional form factors allow for an incredible amount of customization. Different screen sizes, keyboards, mice, speakers - tons of peripherals, etc. People like cutomization beyond the color of the case - ergonomic customization is important. 3: The Microsoft Surface can ship with a keyboard. To me this suggests the tablet has a deficiency. I don't understand why someone would get a tablet with keyboard when they could get a ridiculously thin Mac Air with the keyboard (and more functionality). 4: It's true that a tablet can be used in the medical field for very specialized purposes but that has been true of medical devices since the flashlight was re-imagined as a device to peer up someone's nose. In short, just as the little nose looker thingies didn't replace flashlights I don't see the tablet replacing netbooks. This post isn't about hating on tablets, Apple, or the Surface. I think they're really slick devices but anytime I consider buying one I cannot get past the question of Why? I think in 5 years we'll all look back on the so-called post-PC era and LOL.
A computer expert is the very *last* person who could correctly call the tablet wave as fad or fact. Consider... If you have years of experience using the existing form factor all day, it will *of course* feel more natural to you than a new form factor. If you use computers for typing-heavy expert workloads like programming and documenting, then *of course* the keyboardless tablet will feel inadequate. If everyone around you uses existing computers for typing-heavy workloads, you may come to think that these workloads dominate computer uses. Go home and see what your mom is doing (maybe playing Solitaire) on her computer, and what your kid is doing (maybe playing angry birds on his smartphone), and you might come to a different conclusion. Honestly, I don't think anyone is left who thinks ebooks and smartphones are going away any time soon, even if you can't type on 'em. Laptops aren't going away either, unless we discover that the market segment of expert users is such a small percentage that it's no longer worth serving. In which case god help us all on this site.
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Given Apple's astounding sales and the recent committment made by Microsoft I know the question is a bit bizarre. Many people consider the question already completely answered, and I can respect that point of view. However, I'm still in teh doubters camp - not so much about the current success but about the long term viability of tablets. To me the whole thing is still just a fad. Let me explain myself. 1: The typical PC form factor has been with us for at least 30 years and I think the reason it's enjoyed such a long streak is because it works. Laptops and notebooks have been with us for nearly as long - again, because they work. So when I call the tablet a fad I mean in comparison to more traditional form factors. 2: Traditional form factors allow for an incredible amount of customization. Different screen sizes, keyboards, mice, speakers - tons of peripherals, etc. People like cutomization beyond the color of the case - ergonomic customization is important. 3: The Microsoft Surface can ship with a keyboard. To me this suggests the tablet has a deficiency. I don't understand why someone would get a tablet with keyboard when they could get a ridiculously thin Mac Air with the keyboard (and more functionality). 4: It's true that a tablet can be used in the medical field for very specialized purposes but that has been true of medical devices since the flashlight was re-imagined as a device to peer up someone's nose. In short, just as the little nose looker thingies didn't replace flashlights I don't see the tablet replacing netbooks. This post isn't about hating on tablets, Apple, or the Surface. I think they're really slick devices but anytime I consider buying one I cannot get past the question of Why? I think in 5 years we'll all look back on the so-called post-PC era and LOL.
To me, tablets are just something to let you compute more in more places. They don't replace PCs by any stretch, but are an add-on. The primary advantages, as I see them, are: 1) You can take a tablet with you to the crapper. True, some people have been using smartphones and even laptops in there, but a tablet has the proper in-between form factor. 2) A tablet can offload some activity from PCs, keeping them fresher and snappier. PCs "wear out" for both hardware and software reasons, such as HD fragmentation, garbage files and services, malware, etc.
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(again, disclaimer, I don't own a tablet, I have not yet found the use for it; but it's getting there) The tablet form factor is a lot more "performant" when the user does not have access to a desk; most people do not "create" content on tablets; they consume it. In the case of medical professional, they will just the tablet as a read-only device with limited annotation features, they will read the patient's dossier, watch xrays/mri, look up drugs dependencies and make small annotations here and there; and when they want to actively "write" stuff, they'll go back to their office, dock the tablet and use a real keyboard. As for customization, the normal people (99.99%) don't care about it, they want a computer/laptop/tablet/phone that just works for a normal number of months/years.
Nihil obstat
I think you pretty much said it all. Tablets do have a use for information retrieval with minimal typing - basically a PIMP (Personal Information Manager Processor). I could also see my wife using one for playing games (but she won't go near a desktop or laptop) - she got hooked on a some handheld games - Freecell, Solitaire, Yahtzee (always find it in the bathroom - so now we take a "Yahtzee"). As far as doing useful work, I can see they are limited compared to a decent size screen and keyboard. With USB sticks and SSDs increasing in memory capacity, plus "instant startup", netbooks and small laptops will not go away. If you consider packing a netbook (and a small mouse) in a brief case or suit case vs a separate keyboard - "chiclet"(?), your tablet, a bottle of Windex, etc., it becomes more convenient to take a single unit with a 64GB or 128GB SSD to take notes and enter data than a tablet. I don't own a tablet either (maybe in a couple of weeks, I'll get an old Android from my younger daughter when we go to visit her and her husband - I always seem to get my kids "hand-me-downs").
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When I took my current job with the school district I work for, I knew I needed something more portable than the laptop they gave me. As a campus technician, I'm responsible for maintaining all of the technology on at least five different campuses and troubleshooting any issues they run into. Occasionally I also work on other projects like site surveys for upcoming technology installs. My tablet has seriously exploded the level of productivity I'm capable of in all of these areas. I got an ASUS Transformer TF300T with a Tegra 3 quad core processor, 1GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. It's currently running Android 4.1.1. I did not get the optional detachable keyboard but, as I found out, I really don't need it. The on-screen keyboard is a lot more usable than I thought it would be. So what have I used it for? The digital classroom project involves installed an audio system in the drop ceiling, an interactive HD projector on the wall above the dry-erase board, electrical conduit and receptacles, and a number of connections below the board for various other pieces of technology. The site survey for this required pictures of the room, the board, and the space above the ceiling from several angles, measurements, and detailed notes for every classroom it went into. At the end of each survey, the pictures and the notes needed to be put into a report with a specific format, meaning a word document with a table that had a column for room numbers, one for pictures, and one for notes broken into a bullet point list. Instead of lugging around a laptop, a camera, and a tape measure, all I used were the tablet and the tape measure. I created the report on the tablet, took the pictures with the tablet and had them automatically placed in the right place in the report, and typed up my notes and measurements right there. No arm strain, no worry of running out of battery, no extraneous baggage or bulk. I would then upload the entire report from my tablet into our web-based file system where everyone could access it. When I'm working my tickets, I log into the ticketing system from my tablet, access stored documents on a shared drive on my laptop which I set up in a central location and leave there as I go about my business, keep track of appointments using a widget on my home screen that syncs with my outlook calendar, reset passwords and manage Active Directory user and computer accounts with ActiveDir Manager, generate network maps for subnets I'm troubleshooting devices on and ping or tracero
+5 thanks for an excellent hands-on review, and usage example. best, Bill
~ Confused by Windows 8 ? This may help: [^] !
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I remember the first time I saw a researcher back in the late '60s using a light pen interacting with a screen to draw. I think we are going to go back to that. I find using a track pad or mouse the ultimate in clumsiness compared to my fingers or a light pen. What we will end up with is using our fingers on a touchscreen or for precision work the equivalent of a light pen. Whether you call them tablets, laptops or netbooks is immaterial, we will have touchscreens with detachable keyboards.
I think you are ignoring some basic human ergonomic realities in this comment: 1. early light pens were very crude: you can't generalize from that technology to today. 2. to draw with precision with a stylus at a high resolution requires: the surface you draw on be stable; the surface you draw on be at an angle in relation to your line of sight that optimizes what you can see; and, the distance between your extended-arm-and-hand (and eyes) must be, relatively, close. But, you need to distinguish "drawing," in this case, from "user interface" direct action, such as selecting letters from a virtual keyboard; selecting from extended multi-level drop-down menus, etc. Consider also the difference in "drawing" between drawing with a "virtual brush" in what you might call "free-form" style, and the type of "drawing" you do in PhotoShop with the "magnetic lasso tool," where you carefully trace the outline of a shape, creating a path that internally is a group of Bezier curves. Two very different scenarios ! For useful precision work in free-form drawing, photo-retouching (of bitmaps), audio editing of wave-forms, 3d wire-frame shape-mesh creation and adjustment, etc., most people, will, I believe, want surfaces to work on that are larger than the devices we call "tablets" today. Of course all this could change sooner than we think; I look forward to the next adventures in innovation :) But, the human eye, hands and fingers, and arm, are probably going to remain a constant, evolving over periods of millennia, not years. best, Bill
~ Confused by Windows 8 ? This may help: [^] !
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+5 thanks for an excellent hands-on review, and usage example. best, Bill
~ Confused by Windows 8 ? This may help: [^] !
No problem. In addition, I forgot to mention asset management using a barcode reader app and the built in camera or, preferably, a bluetooth hand scanner. And give yourselves a few months of typing on the on-screen keyboard and you'll eventually find that you can pump out a lengthy blog post just as fast as on a hardware keyboard.
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A previous company I was with gave me a tablet for R&D... I hated it and couldn't use it at all. I knew another guy for a scientific research firm who received one. He hated it as well. So, my conclusion is that for people doing real computing work... tablets are useless. For people looking for entertainment, they are great. That is the only distinction I can see... one is a tool, one is a toy. And the intertainment industry is not going anywhere. I bet tablets are here to stay, but so are the PCs.
Your right about tablets not replacing PC's for software dev, but I have many uses for a table besides entertainment. I am an avid jazz pianist and I use my tablet for displaying music on my piano because a laptop or a PC doesn't fit. I use it to watch piano tutorials and browse for music theory instruction. It is valuable that I can take it away from the piano and study. So no I would never use it for dev, but it is an incredibly valuable tool for learning. It would be nice it my Android had better MIDI software. Cheers
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(again, disclaimer, I don't own a tablet, I have not yet found the use for it; but it's getting there) The tablet form factor is a lot more "performant" when the user does not have access to a desk; most people do not "create" content on tablets; they consume it. In the case of medical professional, they will just the tablet as a read-only device with limited annotation features, they will read the patient's dossier, watch xrays/mri, look up drugs dependencies and make small annotations here and there; and when they want to actively "write" stuff, they'll go back to their office, dock the tablet and use a real keyboard. As for customization, the normal people (99.99%) don't care about it, they want a computer/laptop/tablet/phone that just works for a normal number of months/years.
Nihil obstat
> In the case of medical professional, ... when they want to actively "write" stuff, > they'll go back to their office, dock the tablet and use a real keyboard. they will dictate it into the device and someone in a displaced time zone will type it up and have it ready for them to review when they come in the next morning :-)