Tablet PCs have a wide number of applications in the following areas:
Manufacturing
Distribution
Insurance
Finance
Legal
Technology
Health Care
You can use a Tablet PC to quickly get access to product
descriptions and catalogs, get the latest quotes or prices,
check inventory, find customer information, and more. You can also use a Tablet PC to keep connected with the office, as well as perform common productivity task like word processing, working with spreadsheets, and answering client e-mails.
Making the Transition
In order for Tablet PCs to become viable business tools,
they need all of the the following characteristics:
Robustness
Ease of use
Software
Wireless capability
Security
Price
Robustness
Portable computer hardware tends to take a lot of abuse. I'm
not saying that a Tablet PC should be built like the old
Panasonic ToughBooks (which were practically indestructible), but it should be able to absorb the usual bumps, jostles, and bangs that come with everyday use. On top of that, the screen should at least be scratch
resistant.
Ease of Use
Nothing is more frustrating than a device that's difficult to
use. While it's hard to design something that everyone finds
easy to use, a Tablet PC (or any other computing device)
should have a negligible learning curve.
How negligible? It should be fairly obvious what the physical
buttons and ports on the device are for. In the user
interface, menus and buttons should be clearly marked. Either
with descriptive, international icons or just text.