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Features
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Tablets
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Netbooks
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User Interaction
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Tablets won’t provide employees with traditional interactivity. Rather
than offer a mouse or trackpad and keyboard like traditional computers,
tablets require users to interact with Web pages, documents, and other
apps via a touch screen. That means that, save for using a stand and
add-on physical keyboard, users will likely be forced to hold the
tablet in one hand and interact with it with the other hand.
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Netbooks have the form of traditional laptops. Users can interact with
the devices by either thumbing their way around the included touchpad
or connecting a USB mouse. In addition, netbooks have physical
keyboards, which makes the process of typing much easier than on a
tablet’s virtual keyboard.
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Operating System(s)
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Tablets operating systems on the market today include Apple’s iOS,
Google’s Android, and Windows. RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook, featuring its
BlackBerry Tablet OS, hit the market in April.
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For the most part, netbooks are running Windows, especially Windows 7.
Enterprise customers can also find some netbooks running Linux.
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Key Features
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Not all tablets are created equal, but they have some features in
common. They all sport touchscreens and virtual keyboards. In
addition, the devices typically come with display sizes that range
between 5 inches and 10.1 inches. They all run on mobile operating
systems (except for the small number of Windows tablets), and feature
application stores for users to add programs. More than anything,
tablets are meant to be mobile and cannot handle resource-intensive
tasks.
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Netbooks come in many different shapes and sizes, but for the most
part, their screens are between 8 inches and 12 inches. They all
feature physical keyboards and run Windows. Like tablets, they’re made
to be mobile and cannot handle resource-intensive tasks. Netbooks can
sometimes weigh less than a pound, depending on device, and are
generally incapable of being updated, which means customers must buy a
new one if the computer is no longer functional.
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Productivity Considerations
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With tablets, employees will be able to do just about anything they can
on a computer, which means streaming video, listening to music,
accessing games from an applications marketplace, and more. And, since
tablets don’t come with physical keyboards and the basic input device
is the user’s hand, it might be difficult for some users to type out
long e-mails and documents. Web browsing is also less appealing for
some models; for example, iPad 2, the most popular tablet, does not
support Flash.
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When it comes to netbooks, employees will be tempted by streaming video
content and the ability to listen to music from their devices. They can
also play games from the platform, though netbooks don’t support mobile
applications. Beyond that, productivity shouldn’t be hit too hard with
a Windows-based netbook, since enterprise applications will be running
on those computers. Plus, with the ability to have a physical keyboard
and traditional input device, netbook users shouldn’t have any trouble
typing out documents or browsing the Web.
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Size Considerations
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As noted, there are several different screen sizes when it comes to
tablets. However, the world’s top tablet, the iPad 2, comes with a
9.7-inch display. It’s also quite thin, making it a fine mobile
companion. Enterprise-focused tablets, including the BlackBerry
PlayBook and upcoming Cisco Cius offer 7-inch displays. Keep in mind
that the bigger the screen, the more useful tablets are.
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Netbooks are designed to be extremely mobile. Because of that, they
offer small screen sizes and extremely small footprints. They aren’t as
easy to carry around as a tablet, since they are a bit thicker, but
they’re extremely light, which makes them easy to carry around. As with
tablets, netbooks featuring larger displays are more likely to help
employees do their work, but if mobility is what you’re after, opt for
the smaller models.
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App Availability
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App availability differs depending on tablet model. Apple’s iPad, for
example, offers 65,000 applications, while the BlackBerry PlayBook
offers only 3,000 apps at this point. Android-based tablet apps also
pale in comparison to those available on the iPad. However, there
aren’t a slew of business applications available on iPad, which might
be a problem for companies.
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Since the vast majority of available netbooks run Windows, CIOs
shouldn’t have any trouble finding programs that can run on the
netbooks. Even better, many of the programs available in the enterprise
will be capable of running on netbooks. That said, if users are looking
for a selection of applications, on the scale of the offerings
available for the iPad, they won’t find them.
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Longevity
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Tablets are being updated quite rapidly. That means you might need to buy a new tablet for customers every couple years.
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Considering that netbook sales are plummeting around the globe, they
might not be available and supported for all that much longer, which
means companies might eventually need to move to tablets anyway.
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Security Concerns
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If companies opt for the iPad, security concerns are practically
non-existent when it comes to malware. At this point, malicious hackers
are not able to attack iOS through traditional means. However,
companies will need to worry about malware on Android-based tablets.
And across the entire market, network exploits are still possible. As
with any other device, it’s important that companies keep security in
mind and lock down tablets as much as possible to ensure employees
won’t let information seep out in the wild.
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Since the vast majority of netbooks are running Windows, you’ll need to
remember that the security concerns you’re dealing with on your
company’s desktops and laptops will continue with the lightweight
alternatives. Therefore, be sure to add security software to all the
netbooks you deploy, and keep in mind that employees might engage in
unsafe behaviors that could put your network in danger.
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Models Available
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There are several tablets on store shelves, including the Apple iPad 2,
Motorola Xoom, and Dell Streak 7. The RIM BlackBerry PlayBook is
designed for corporate customers. Several more tablets are on the way.
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Practically all the major PC vendors, including HP and Dell, offer netbooks.
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Pricing
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Pricing varies, depending on the device. You can expect to pay $400 –
$830 for a worthwhile tablet, plus carrier fees if you opt for a
cellular-capable device rather than a WiFi-only model.
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Pricing varies, depending on the device. However, CIOs can expect to
pay between $250 and $600 for a worthwhile netbook, plus carrier fees
if you opt for a cellular-capable device rather than a WiFi-only model.
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