Tablets: What changes with this Gadget? *

It was only a short time ago that tablets came into people’s lives, yet it seems they’ve been in our lives for a long time. They emerged early in the year 2010 with the launch of the Apple iPad, which already today has great public acceptance. Increasingly tablets are gaining popularity, and it certainly marks a major technological trend for the coming years. The first tablet, the Apple iPad, sold more than 10 million units in 2010, and now competitors are investing huge sums on other tablet models in order to compete with the current sales leader, Apple.

So what exactly is a tablet? It’s nothing more than a clipboardshaped, ultra-light computer with a keyboard in the screen, which is sensitive to the touch and does mostly what computers do, such as connecting to the Internet, accessing emails, editing simple documents, watching videos, viewing photos and listening to music. All of these features in one device, ready-made for easy handling and transportation, has fallen into the hands of today’s users.

Tablets are not only about who boasts the best game sophistication or the greatest capacity for music or the finest screen resolution. They are also about developing a device that puts communication in the pockets of nearly everyone, and not just for talking and writing, but to enjoy ongoing participation in a universal chat, much as the 20th century envisaged communications in the 21st century.

In Brazil, tablets arrived shortly after they were introduced in the United States, and the reaction was the same, with hungry consumers running to the stores to  urchase this new trend in computing. It didn’t take long before tablets sparked active debate and controversy, especially when technology analysts said the tablets would replace traditional devices such as the computer, notebook and netbook. The tablets’ detractors posed questions like, Can we seriously expect someone to work on a computer without a mouse? While the tablets’ supports believed they were truly a magical revolution. Why would a person return to using a mouse and keyboard after having experienced the interface of Apple’s visionary iPad!

The debate on tablets will certainly continue, but there is one relevant point in the discussion worth noting: Tablet technology may be the best computer for people who hate technology.
What lies ahead for the future of tablets, we don’t know. Certainly, if their popularity continues to grow, their prices will become more affordable, and if that happens, tablets will probably become as popular as cell phones are today.

* Article published on Curitiba in English.