The Verge had an interesting story about Android 12L’s new focus on tablets. Rick Miner’s, Android’s CTO of Tablets spoke to The Verge about Android’s belief that tablets will be overtaking laptops in the future. This was quite surprising to me since compared to Apple, Android seemed to be largely ignoring the tablet market. Here is a little from The Verge.
Miner references the introduction of Android tablets in 2011 and how apps like media players scaled to fit them easily without much investment, but then growth “kind of stagnated.” Now, he cites data showing growth took off pre-COVID in late 2019 and has continued to rise, with more keyboard peripherals and developments in software and hardware by third-party manufacturers to make them better tools to create instead of consuming.
The other reason he cites is that tablets can be “very capable, less expensive than a laptop.” That spurred Google’s work on Android 12L to optimize its system UI for use on bigger devices, as well as the way it formats apps to fit on big screens. —Richard Lawler, The Verge
Tablets overtaking laptops wouldn’t surprise me in the least. In fact, since Apple has introduced their wonderful M1 laptops I’ve been listening to rabid Mac fans make the case for why tablets will one day take over the world. Why do I say this?
Because if you listen to why people are switching away from Mac desktops to using MacBooks as their main computers, it sounds very much like the same reasons that people have been switching from MacBooks to iPad Pros. If they value these three things, then they are already primed to switch. The only thing holding them back is software.
Portability
Mac fans have suddenly discovered what iPad fans have known all along. It’s great to be able to take your computer with you wherever you go. A MacBook can go with you out of town whereas your desktop can’t. But the iPad beats the MacBook. Not only can you pack it in your bag, you can walk around the house with it. You can easily hold your iPad in one hand or place it under your arm while you carry a cup of coffee in the other. You can continue to use it while in the bathroom or even while sitting in the driver's seat of your car. Try doing that with your MacBook. If Mac fans all of a sudden value portability, tablets are going to win that battle hands down.
One True Device
Mac fans are all of a sudden discovering that it’s great to not have to juggle separate machines. They’ve found that simply always using the same machine simplifies their lives. Well, again, my iPad Pro can do even better. Not only do I have one device that I use for work, but it’s also the same device that I use for play. If I’m watching a movie in bed and I remember something that I forgot to do earlier in the day, I don’t have to get out of bed and go turn on my laptop. Because my iPad Pro does it all. Yes Mac fans, it is great having one device. Too bad you’re still shuffling back and forth between a tablet and a laptop.
Desk Footprint
This is actually my biggest problem with laptops. Most laptops spend the majority of their time sitting on a desk connected to a monitor and a keyboard. That means that a relatively large amount of your premium desk space is taken up by a keyboard that you don’t use. Sure you could hide your laptop but then you lose out on a separate screen you could use as a small monitor. Also, having a laptop sit on a desk sucks. The screen is too low to be comfortable. With a tablet, you can raise the tablet to eye level and use your keyboard where it’s comfortable. And there is no useless keyboard taking up precious desk space.
The three reasons above were all cited by Mac fans on why they love their new M1 laptops so much over their previous desktops. All I could think of was how they were perfectly making the case for why iPad lovers have already switched away from Macs to tablets full time.
There's also been a lot of talk the last two weeks about the virtues of computer modularity. The iMac's all-in-one design precluded being able to update just your computer without also having to throw out your monitor. That doesn't really make any sense. The laptop is really in the same boat. If you like your keyboard, you can upgrade your tablet and still keep your keyboard.
Rich Miner over at Android is right. Tablets will one day displace laptops as the dominant form factor. I’ve compared tablets to EVs. Meaning that both tablets and EVs are still the minority by far. Both ICE vehicles and laptops have their fans who cling to the old way. But tablets are the dispassionate, logical path forward. They will one day be the norm.
The other reason he cites is that tablets can be “very capable, less expensive than a laptop.” That spurred Google’s work on Android 12L to optimize its system UI for use on bigger devices, as well as the way it formats apps to fit on big screens. —Richard Lawler, The Verge
Tablets overtaking laptops wouldn’t surprise me in the least. In fact, since Apple has introduced their wonderful M1 laptops I’ve been listening to rabid Mac fans make the case for why tablets will one day take over the world. Why do I say this?
Because if you listen to why people are switching away from Mac desktops to using MacBooks as their main computers, it sounds very much like the same reasons that people have been switching from MacBooks to iPad Pros. If they value these three things, then they are already primed to switch. The only thing holding them back is software.
Portability
Mac fans have suddenly discovered what iPad fans have known all along. It’s great to be able to take your computer with you wherever you go. A MacBook can go with you out of town whereas your desktop can’t. But the iPad beats the MacBook. Not only can you pack it in your bag, you can walk around the house with it. You can easily hold your iPad in one hand or place it under your arm while you carry a cup of coffee in the other. You can continue to use it while in the bathroom or even while sitting in the driver's seat of your car. Try doing that with your MacBook. If Mac fans all of a sudden value portability, tablets are going to win that battle hands down.
One True Device
Mac fans are all of a sudden discovering that it’s great to not have to juggle separate machines. They’ve found that simply always using the same machine simplifies their lives. Well, again, my iPad Pro can do even better. Not only do I have one device that I use for work, but it’s also the same device that I use for play. If I’m watching a movie in bed and I remember something that I forgot to do earlier in the day, I don’t have to get out of bed and go turn on my laptop. Because my iPad Pro does it all. Yes Mac fans, it is great having one device. Too bad you’re still shuffling back and forth between a tablet and a laptop.
Desk Footprint
This is actually my biggest problem with laptops. Most laptops spend the majority of their time sitting on a desk connected to a monitor and a keyboard. That means that a relatively large amount of your premium desk space is taken up by a keyboard that you don’t use. Sure you could hide your laptop but then you lose out on a separate screen you could use as a small monitor. Also, having a laptop sit on a desk sucks. The screen is too low to be comfortable. With a tablet, you can raise the tablet to eye level and use your keyboard where it’s comfortable. And there is no useless keyboard taking up precious desk space.
The three reasons above were all cited by Mac fans on why they love their new M1 laptops so much over their previous desktops. All I could think of was how they were perfectly making the case for why iPad lovers have already switched away from Macs to tablets full time.
There's also been a lot of talk the last two weeks about the virtues of computer modularity. The iMac's all-in-one design precluded being able to update just your computer without also having to throw out your monitor. That doesn't really make any sense. The laptop is really in the same boat. If you like your keyboard, you can upgrade your tablet and still keep your keyboard.
Rich Miner over at Android is right. Tablets will one day displace laptops as the dominant form factor. I’ve compared tablets to EVs. Meaning that both tablets and EVs are still the minority by far. Both ICE vehicles and laptops have their fans who cling to the old way. But tablets are the dispassionate, logical path forward. They will one day be the norm.
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