Tablet Computers - The Rise of the Machines

Enter the Apple iPad. Then the Samsung Galaxy. Then Dell. Then HP.

We’re seeing a real-world “Rise of the Machines” here.

With so many choices of tablet PCs that are so darned capable the question must be asked; do you still need a computer?

For many home users the answer will be no. With a tablet PC you can surf the web, send and receive email, manage your pictures, watch a movie or two or ten, play games and even have a video chat.

There are tens of thousands of tablet computer apps (read: software applications) that can do almost everything conventional computer software can do.

Based on this, a tablet personal computer is more than sufficient for 95% of all computer users.

They’re also cheaper. Way cheaper.

Consider: a 16 GB Apple iPad (Wifi only) is $499. It’s your computer and your monitor and comes with all the essential software most home computer users are likely to need. Your new iPad will (probably) never need AntiVirus software, likely never need a “PC Tune Up” or the services of a computer geek like me. Over the life of the product you’re saving hundreds of dollars on unnecessary software packages and computer repair fees. And for most people the 16GB model gives them all the storage space they’ll ever need.

For the same $499 you can buy a super-basic Dell desktop computer and 19″ monitor.

But don’t forget the annual internet security software costs, the inevitable computer repairs it will need (if only to remove spyware and viruses), oh and your desktop PC stays right where it is. It’s not mobile like an iPad.

Want a more suitable comparison? A Netbook specced out to perform like an iPad will likely cost $549. Plus Internet security software, annual computer geek technical support bills, etc. etc.

Inside of five years I can easily see an iPad paying for itself just in terms of cost savings compared to the cost of ownership of a desktop PC, laptop or netbook.

Now if you’re a professional and run an office or a business, an tablet computer might not be for you – yet.

Especially if you run very specialized software. CPAs, attorneys and medical practices are a few special cases that come to mind where owning a computer may still be necessary – for now.

For everyone else, you can get almost all the functionality you’re ever likely to need “from the cloud.”

What’s the cloud? Cloud Computing (it’s formal name) is the future. Cloud computing is Google Apps, Google Docs, QuickBooks Online Edition, Zoho office suite, CRM and productivity tools and Microsoft’s recent entry into cloud computing.

In a future post I’ll delve into the details of cloud computing but for now please settle for this brief summary:

Cloud computing eliminates the need to own a big, powerful computer to run the software you need. Servers on the Internet (“the cloud”) serve up your software boiling it all down to you needing nothing more than a web browser to do all your work, bill your clients, process customer payments and all the rest.

And guess what? Every Tablet Computer can surf the web.

So, do you still need a computer?

This is a special Holiday Edition of The Royal Geeks Blog with holiday feasting in mind…

People that haven’t seen me in a while marvel at how much thinner I look since the last time they saw me.

Yes, I dropped some fifty pounds over the course of 12 months. But wait, it gets better.

Some serious self examination in August 2009 revealed:

After a battery of formal tests last month I learned:

All of this without medication or any medical treatment at all.

Ok so how’d I do it?

Get ready for some geek magic!

I ate less and exercised.

That’s it.

Happy holidays!

OK, I’ll be a little more specific and give you the geeky analysis of how eating less and exercising actually works for you.

Myth: You can eat whatever you want in unlimited quantities and not gain weight as long as you exercise regularly.

Fact: An hour of weight lighting and cardiovascular exercise burns off the equivalent of one pack of Twinkies.

Myth: I don’t need to exercise, I look and feel fine!

Fact: Exercise is essential to keep all of your body’s systems in top condition. From your skeleton to your muscles to your circulatory and digestive systems and everything else that keeps your body humming along – exercise is a critical component no matter how sexy you look or how good you feel.

Myth: I really want to eat better but diet food is so boring!

Fact: Food that is lower in fat, carbs and cholesterol can be delicious and rewarding.

Myth: I can’t diet! I feel so deprived! Once I see a piece of cake or a slice of pizza or (FILL IN NAME OF YOUR FAVORITE FOOD HERE) I fall off the wagon and binge.

Fact: You can eat like a total pig and still lose weight. (No, that isn’t a typo)

First with all due credit I must give the spotlight over to Tim Ferriss of 4 Hour Work Week Fame. I learned all I know about losing weight from him.

Read his blog post on the subject of weight loss here. Then continue.

Tim’s reasoning is flawless. And it works.

Eating cottage cheese or an egg white for breakfast, tuna fish or salmon with low fat mayo for lunch OR a Boca burger for lunch and a fairly normal dinner saw the pounds melt off my (formerly) fat body.

When Saturday comes along I go batshit and eat absolutely anything I want. Those of you know me well know Saturday is my day off. From everything. Even dieting.

Sure, I’m in the gym six days per week but I enjoy my workout as my body gets fit, my heart and lungs grow strong and my muscles just grow and grow and grow.

None of this — watching your food intake, hitting the gym for an hour per day, watching your portions — is torture. It’s life changing.

A little more on the fitness side — spend 30 minutes per day on weight lifting and 30 minutes per day on cardiovascular exercise.

Naturally you should consult your doctor before engaging in any sort of exercise regimen.

And after you do head over to Snap Fitness. My location is in Aberdeen, NJ but yours could be anywhere. They have a chain of 24 hour per day locations coast to coast.

Why Snap Fitness? For the widest mix of equipment, the friendliest owners (and equally nice fellow exercisers) and the knowledgeable and UNINTIMIDATING trainers coupled with the convenience of being able to go whenever you want to, Snap Fitness in Aberdeen is the gym for me when I to work out.

As eReader after eReader is unveiled at CES in Las Vegas this week I shake my head at this latest development for two reasons:

1) From an economical standpoint the market cannot and will not support so many different platforms. I’m just waiting to see which eight or nine entrants to the eBook reader market space disappear.

2) From a consumer’s point of view an eBook reader is a waste of money no matter how many bells and whistles are under the hood.

It’s point #2 I’ll spend time with now.

The street price for the eReader of your choice is anywhere from $199-$299 and you’ll get a very capable eBook reader with a few snazzy features backed by a huge library of available titles. In black and white. That’s nice.

But this is much nicer:

An Acer Aspire One Netbook that is roughly the same size, weight and price (street price of $199-$299) can do anything an eBook reader can do — but infinitely more because it’s a full-blown computer running Windows 7. In full color and with stereo sound.

Now let’s kick things up a notch:

AT&T Wireless will sell you a fully-loaded Acer or HP Netbook for $199 with a two year data plan that gives you Internet access anywhere in America.

Want to pass on the monthly fee of $35 or $60? Fair enough. Your new netbook can also connect to any existing wired or wireless (Wi-Fi) network in your home, office or favorite cafe or anywhere else for that matter. WiFi is so ubiquitous these days.

Take your new Netbook and load on a free copy of Amazon’s Kindle software for Windows and you have a fully-functional eBook reader with 1000 times the storage capacity of any eBook reader that also doubles as a fully-operational computer. That means your Netbook is capable of going on the Internet, playing (and storing) movies and music, immersing you in the latest multimedia computer game extravaganza or – even better by my light – deliver fully interactive fiction books. The ability to actually, actively participate in a full-length novel is something else no eReader in the world can do.

Oh and you can also pay your bills, read all the newspapers you want, check the latest sports score and stock quotes, craft up a spreadsheet, blog (just like I am right now), and – uhm – everything else you can do with a computer on the Internet.

Dollar for dollar why shell out money for a one-trick-pony when the same money can get you a three ring circus?

I call upon all my fellow technologists to educate the public about the flim-flam nature of the emerging eBook market and instead focus on how much smarter an investment a good netbook would be.