The press loves tablets. New-media theorists love tablets. The hardware makers love tablets. Tablets might become the default Personal Computers . But in 2012, my heart is still with handsets.
Pocketable
The device is with me unless Im naked or in my swimming suit. The best Internet device, like the best camera, is the one you have with you.
Speaking of Cameras
Theyre really getting pretty good; the days of the point-&-shoot may be numbered.
Online
Lots of tablets are WiFi-only, and thats fine, I guess, as long as Im in my home or office. And yeah, if I have a handset I can make a hotspot for a tablet. But whether Im thinking as a programmer or a civilian, being on the Net by default, wherever/whenever, is huge.
One-handed
I can wave it. I can tap it. I can shake it. I can read the news while I hold onto the city bus pole. I can point the camera at interesting people on a railway platform.
Telephony
Yeah, I often wonder if those Voice and SMS apps really have a future, but for the moment I still find phoning and texting awfully handy.
Tablets
Im totally dependent on mine for reading and browsing and demoing. And Im sure theres bucketloads of money to be made building and selling them.
But increasingly, they feel like just another computer, deliciously light but starved for CPU and memory, with a great screen but a lousy keyboard.