Tablets will impact future computing expectations

It would have been difficult to predict the dramatic impact tablets have had on the computing industry. While Apple has been no stranger to releasing influential technology, its iPad has touched off a computing revolution that has altered the expectations and user habits for years to come, according to a recent special report released by Gartner.

The firm's iPad and Beyond: What the Future of Computing Holds report analyzed how important tablets have become for today's computing market. From their form factor to their computing power, the devices have quickly overtaken various other mobile devices in a trend that hasn't shown any signs of slowing down any time soon.

"During the next five to 10 years, media tablets will instigate change in computing form factors; modular designs will enable tablets to take on new functions, becoming the cross-platform controller and brain for hybrid consumer electronics and computers," Angela McIntyre, a Gartner research director, said.

Already, tablets are taking the place of other devices among users. This is especially true for enterprise users and their laptops.

Laptops have been the mobile device of choice - usually accompanied by a smartphone - for many years now. They provide end-users robust, on-the-go computing with a relatively portable design.

Now, however, laptops appear as clunky and clumsy as their desktop PC counterparts when matched against tablets. The latter devices offer all that mobile professionals are looking for in a device - sleek design and a build that is large enough to run various applications on, but still small enough to match the portability of a smartphone.

"Thin-and-light mobile PCs with tablet-like features will become mainstream, pushing out some bulkier PC styles that have been the norm," McIntyre said.

The rise of such devices is presenting new challenges for companies when it comes to mobile device management. The more these capabilities come to light, the more mobile professionals are requesting IT support for the devices.

This mobility consumerization brought on by tablets may be just another of the late Steve Jobs' contributions to the technology industry and world in general, a recent Network World report noted. Prior to the release of the iPhone in 2007, it was rare to witness enterprise users leveraging Apple products as part of an enterprise technology deployment. But the smartphone changed that, and the release of the iPad last only served to accelerate the conumerization movement.