Convergence works well in IT and many vendors are asking--why not have a convergence between the laptop and the tablet?
Many vendors are working on such a device. Sony is reportedly working on a product called the Viao U, which according to a leaked ad is said to be a hybrid tablet PC. Dell has its Inspirion Duo, while Acer has its Iconia W510 and W700.
While some believe that there is hope for this segment, Apple, the company that literally invented tablets, doesn't agree. Recently, Mr. Tim Cook, Chief Executive Officer of Apple, debunked the possibility of the success of a hybrid product at the D10 conference and said that, in his view, the tablet and the PC are different.
There is some truth in what Mr. Cook says. It is also to be noted that the champions of the hybrid design are companies whose strengths lie in traditional notebooks.
Vendors have to answer one important question from a usability perspective--what is the best way to create a hybrid? Does one take a notebook and add a touch screen and a detachable keyboard? Or is it better to take a touch screen device and add a keyboard as an optional extra?
The industry is still in a nascent stage, so it is hard for anybody to give an answer. But if one looks at IDC's figures for the quarter ended March 31, 2012, Apple accounted for 11.8 million (68 per cent) of the 17.4 million tablets that were shipped. Clearly, as of now, it is the only company that has figured out what makes the tablet market tick.