Will 2010 Be the Year of the Tablet

Since the much anticipated rumours surrounding Apple's plans for a major announcement on Wednesday 27th January, that is according to All Things Digital, and with much added speculation on whether Apple will indeed release their own tablet PC as their new product, I have noticed a growing trend in the potential popularity of tablet PCs. In a nutshell a tablet PC refers to a portable slate computer which is equipped with a touchscreen or stylus to operate the machine.

Whether or not Apple will introduce a tablet into the market, you may have noticed numerous adverts on television already this month promoting similar products. There are those who have even gone as far to suggest that this concept of an enlarged iPhone could be targeted at netbook users, an example of such a product is Dell's confirmation of its own minature slate PC, which demonstrates the notable trend in movement towards more involved interactivity between user and computer. In many ways this level of interactivity has already started with the introduction of the Nintendo Wii. This type of interaction will also have an impact on the design of websites and operating systems.

For the foreseeable future a mouse and keyboard will be a neccessity for our Melon designers and web coders here. However for those users who require more simple interaction and prefer poking at the screen for a more instant response this is exciting news.

This kind of product would suit my father perfectly - a once technophobe moving into the highly technological world of today. On a lasting note, I would be interested if Apple does indeed produce a tablet PC to match this growing trend in the market, a pattern which they themselves provided a catalyst for, with the iPhone.