Tablet PCs: The Killer App for Higher Education
As wireless
networking becomes available at universities, college administrators must decide
what hardware appliances to use. Should they recommend that students use notebook
computers, handheld appliances, or the forthcoming Tablet PC? What are the advantages
of each device?
At Indiana State University in Terre Haute, the Cunningham Library's Project
Mercury team has been implementing wireless technologies for about a year, experimenting
with various ways to deliver wireless services for student and faculty patrons
of the library. We stock notebook computers (IBM Thinkpads) and PC Cards for
wireless computing within the library environment. The Project Mercury team
also stocks wireless adapters for Handspring Visors and wireless expansion packs
for Compaq iPAQ devices.
Graduate students and faculty, who can check out the PC Cards for an entire
semester, are delighted with the project, because it allows them to work from
their carrels or another location while still accessing the Web and e-mail.
Undergraduate students can check out the PC Cards for three weeks and are beginning
to take advantage of the benefit.
When Tablet PCs become available this summer, the Project Mercury team will
add several of them to the library offerings, giving the team a chance to compare
these hardware alternatives and make some recommendations to the university
community.
Although the laptop computer boasts the obvious advantages of screen size
and hard drive capacity, it d'es have some deficiencies. Laptops take up most
of a student's desktop. Once the laptop is open, the screen partially blocks
the student’s view of the lecturer. Limited typing ability also hinders laptop
use. PocketPC and Palm devices are in many ways more suited to classroom use,
but are somewhat limited by their small screen size and the frustrating amount
of scrolling required to access Web pages.
The Tablet PC may just land in that elusive middle ground between the bigger
laptop and small pocket-sized device. Although the initial device designs vary,
the concept is to have something the size of a writing tablet, about 8 inches
by 10 inches and less than 1 inch thick. It has the functions of a laptop, but
has digital ink technology so that users can write on it with a stylus similar
to pen and paper. The operating system is a unique version of Windows XP with
the digital ink and related software.
We already have a model for ubiquitous computing using laptop computers on
many campuses. To that we can add what we know about the Tablet PC. Students
would write their notes in digital ink instead of paper. Using the Tablet PC,
faculty might develop dynamic, interactive classrooms along the lines of WebCT’s
forthcoming Slate project, a push and pull technology for wireless classroom
communication.
Outside the classroom, students find their notes from every class, in various
multimedia formats, available for instant review. In the library, using embedded
wireless networking, they have complete access to all library catalogs and databases.
The built-in 802.11 wireless connectivity gives them instant access to the Internet.
They can use it in campus common areas and dorms, and it takes up less room
than piles of paper notebooks. They can even use the device's ports as a hub
for digital cameras and other accessories.
The Tablet PC could save the university money by eliminating the need to constantly
expand computer lab space and monitor security and software updates on hundreds
of desktop computers.
However, several issues may deter universities from adopting Tablet PCs. First,
cost. The makers of these devices—Compaq, Acer, Fujitsu, and Toshiba, among
others—project initial prices of about $1,500. Other factors to be considered
include battery charging and ergonomics of classroom use. Bootup time may be
a factor as well. The decision to have these devices run XP over PocketPC means
that they require a traditional bootup and shutdown versus the instant-on ability
of PocketPC and Palm OS. Finally, the university will have to build the necessary
network, hardware, and software support.
As laptops get smaller and pocket devices become more powerful, Tablet PCs
will have to secure a unique niche in order to succeed. It remains to be seen
if the Tablet PC will actually deliver the goods or not, but the concept is
clearly in tune with the needs of the university.
For more information, contact Paul Asay at [email protected].