Tablet Computing

To successfully complete Tablet Computing

READ this blog post.
DO and THINK about the information in the "Learn More About" activities.
LEARN by completing the Hands-On Activities.
Your total time commitment is about 30 minutes.

Introduction to Tablet Computing
Although tablets come in a variety of shapes, sizes and feature sets, they share many similar characteristics. None of them have a phone and nearly all have a touch-screen interface and an operating system capable of running small programs or applications. There are three recognized types: slate, convertible, and hybrid.

Hybrid tablets are slates designed to work with keyboard docks. Slate tablets are all screen with no physical keyboard or mouse. Convertibles are laptops that transform into tablet PCs by flexing a special hinge. If you look inside any of these tablets, you’ll find familiar computer components. Tablets have smaller processors (microprocessors) to conserve space. They draw power from a rechargeable battery with a typical battery life of six to ten hours.

They also contain some components found in smartphones including accelerometers, gyroscopes, WiFi and/or cellular chips and antennas, speakers, a touch-screen controller chip and camera sensors, chips and lenses. Accelerometers and gyroscopes provide orientation to display graphics in either portrait or landscape mode. The WiFi or cellular components allow your tablet to connect to a computer network such as the Internet.,/p>

Tablets are usually under-powered (under-clocked). The CPU is set to run fewer instructions per second than it’s capable of doing. This reduces heat production inside the device and also conserves the tablet’s battery life. Most tablets don't need the processing power of a standard computer. Tablet programs or applications (apps) are generally less complex and robust than standard computer programs.

Why is this topic important? According to the Pew Research, the number of Americans ages 16 and older who own tablet computers has grown to 35%. Tablet computing is growing in popularity. It is part of now and the future.
Learning More about Table Computing (15 minutes)

1. Read Tablet Computers: an overview at ZDNet (10 minutes)
2. Watch Apps by Commoncraft(4:29 minutes)

Hands-on Activities (10 minutes)

1. Check-out a tablet computer from Cindy Hart. Turn it on and off; find and adjust the volume; open, try out and close an app; open an Internet browser and use the tablet's keyboard to search for something. Discuss with a co-worker how is the tablet computer different from the PC at your desk? What are the benefits?

When you have completed this module, please be sure to complete this form. Thank you!