E-book ergonomics: Tablets vs. laptops

David Rothman writes “So what’s best for reading e-books hour after hour–laptops or tablets? My vote is strongly for the latter. I also like PDAs, despite the screen limitations, for mobility when it counts. Plus, they’re less expensive than tablets or laptops. Just personal taste. If nothing else, however, let’s consider the K-12 implications here. Don’t we want a form factor that encourages reading and sustained thought, not just interactivity–which can be taken care of with detachable keyboards for tablets, or else the Tablet PC approach of a tablet-laptop hybrid. Tablets are overpriced, but as costs come down, they’ll increasingly be something to consider as gear for patrons to use in the library or even check out. More at TeleRead.”

June 16, 2004 by Uncategorized 1

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1 Response

  1. madtom says:
    June 16, 2004 at 6:35 pm

    tablet pcs
    Like David, I think tablet pcs have a lot going for them. The hybrid laptops that turn into de facto tablets are alright, but something of a cop-out since they assume the user won’t REALLY want to use the tablet form factor to do work. But it decreases the portability and utility of a pure tablet.

    In the library setting, tablets have a lot of advantages. Most reseach is web browsing with a small amount typing to enter search terms. When a keyboard is needed, by all means, hook one up.

    As a long time Palm user, I’m very comfortable scribbling my notes rather than typing them. If I could find a WiFi solution for my T3 – none exists 🙁 – I would be a happy guy. Wireless tablets would be EXCELLENT!

    Reply

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