Are you thinking of buying a new PC or Laptop? If so, WAIT. You’ll want to read this Guest Post first by Jaguar PC.
Years ago, desktop computing was how everyone accessed the internet or used any other IT platforms. Then, laptops emerged to challenge desktop computing and bring a mobile element to PC’s. Products such as mobile broadband would then further facilitate laptop use, while laptops evolved into netbooks and other mini-versions that could be taken anywhere with the utmost ease and convenience.
However, the emergence of true mobile computing, in the form of tablet devices such as the iPad and Google Nexus, has started to send the desktop market, especially, and to a lesser extent the laptop market, into a steady decline that they are unlikely to recover from.
In the last year alone, to the end of the first quarter of 2013, desktop and laptop sales dropped at alarming 14% rate year-on-year. That is almost double the predicted drop, which had been forecast at 8%. In the same period, sales of tablets grew an astonishing 80%, although smartphone sales, rather predictably, outperformed those of desktop PCs, laptops, and tablets combined.
2013: The Year of Change
Despite those numbers appearing to sound the alarm for desktop PCs and laptops, they have still maintained a higher final sales number.
However, 2013 is the year when that will change. For the first time, it is projected that tablet sales will outstrip desktop PCs, unit for unit, in 2013. It is easy to dismiss that as a predictable outcome, but consider this further fact:
Tablet sales will continue to grow to the point where they outgrow laptop sales in 2014, and by the end of the decade, it is estimated that tablets will easily beat these two markets combined.
While the emergence of tablet devices and smartphones as a personal tool is well known, it is in the business world where there is the potential for yet further growth. The big question in this regard, is whether tablet computing will truly emerge to become the dominant force within business, or whether desktops will still prove popular and have a wide range of uses.
Mobile Devices at Work
In the Field
One area where businesses are capitalizing on the potential of tablet devices already is when they have employees who aren’t predominantly based in the office. While this could incorporate many job roles, sales is the most common where mobile devices are being used.
What are the benefits of using a mobile device in a sales role, and what can they be used for?
- Demonstrating a product being used, or features, in an intuitive way that doesn’t involve an awkward folder and simply speaking to the client or customer.
- Sales representatives can be emailed new appointments throughout the day, so if there is a team in the office unearthing leads meetings can be arranged efficiently as email accounts can be synchronized.
- Touchscreen technology can be used to sign invoices or service agreements, which can then be sent electronically to the office, making the accounting process easier as well as reducing the potential for paperwork to go missing and affect profitability.
Today, a mobile device is an essential tool for anyone in a sales role. Of course, other job roles might require a tablet device, too. For example, a regional manager could use one to conduct a standards check on a business, and immediately send the information to head office, or someone pitching for a services contract could use an app to come up with a quote on the spot.
In truth, the possibilities are endless for field workers and mobile computing, but what about their use in the office.
Bring Your Own Device & Tablet Problems
Several global businesses have encouraged ‘Bring Your Own Device’ as a way to cut down on their carbon footprint, use of technology in-house, and costs. This initiative does what it says; employees are able to bring their own tablet into work, and then use it to access the information they need to, usually via a cloud platform.
This brings a sense of flexibility to businesses, and is thought to make employees more efficient owing to the fact they’re using a piece of kit that they’re familiar with and enjoy interacting with. The wide range of modern apps that are able to streamline a variety of processes also help, and mean businesses can operate a much leaner workforce with less people achieving a greater output.
The biggest concern for businesses with mobile devices is their processing power and memory. Yes, mobile devices rely heavily on data stored in the cloud, but security and other potential issues with the cloud means that several large businesses don’t want to risk using it. There are also potential problems with employees losing their devices, or having them stolen, and whether company confidential information could then be accessed and misused.
The Future for Tablets in Business
There is no doubt that tablet technology will grow in terms of how it is used in businesses, but we shouldn’t expect it to become the dominating hardware, at least not at this stage. While the benefits of tablets are clear for all to see, large businesses are likely to continue to be selective over their use, certainly while there are still concerns attached to cloud security and access to sensitive data.
Author Bio:
This article is written by Jaguar PC, the original leaders in VPS (Virtual Private Servers) hosting, providing the best web hosting services since 1998.







