Why the Rise of Tablets?

Interesting article in the Chosun Ilbo English edition today, entitled "PC Market Stung by Rise of Tablets."  Indeed, the rise of tablets, not only in the South Korean market, but globally, is not at all surprising.  The reason for this is simply that, all other things equal, human beings prefer a mobile device, untethered by wires, to the old fashioned, wired desktop computers.  This is expressed succinctly in the so-called "Law of Mobility" or "McGuire's Law."

Having said this much, South Korea presents a special case in point.   I believe that Koreans are, culturally speaking, much more mobile than, for example, Americans.  Here I mean mobile in the sense of the percent of their average day spent outside the home.  I have no empirical data to present on this, but would appreciate observations.   Those of you who have ventured into the central district of most American cities after working hours might think of comparing that to any of Korea's cities when work in the office is finished.  Or, as the accompanying illustration (click to see full size version) shows, consider the average commute via public transportation in Korea versus commuting in a private vehicle in North America.  Comments welcome.

Proliferation of Smartphones and Tablets in Korea

Two items in the news today provide a sure indication of continued media convergence and the maturation of the market for smartphones and mobile devices.  The first item notes the change in distribution and sales of smart phones.  In the past, manufacturers of mobile devices sold them only through a single mobile operator.  Apple changed that pattern by making the iPhone available through both KT and SKT, and the other major handset and tablet manufacturers have followed suite, as reported by the Chosun Ilbo.  Another article, in the Joongang Daily, reports that this week will see the introduction of a "deluge of new smartphone and tablet PC models." (click on the illustration to see a larger version)

Samsung Unveils World's Thinnest Tablet Computer

My first reaction to the Apple iPad when it was initially introduced can be summarized in a word or two.  Too heavy!  That reaction was shared by many consumers.    The Joongang Ilbo  examines this dimension of competition among tablet computers in an article this morning.  The accompanying table (click on the graphic to see a full-size version) compares the dimensions and weight of Samsung's new Galaxy Tab 8.9 with two other rival products.  I've long thought that clip-board or standard paper size tablets are going to be widely adopted when they become as lightweight and as thin as an old-fashioned clipboard or paperback book.  We're very rapidly approaching that stage.

Christmas Gifts and the Future of Books

It is Christmas Day, 2010, and all around the world people are unwrapping their Christmas gifts.  A very considerable number of these gifts will be e-readers or tablet computers.   The recipients of these gifts will, in turn, download a large number of e-books, magazines, newspapers and other products being offered for these new devices.  The New York Times took note of this phenomenon in an article titled "Christmas Gifts May Help E-books Take Root."

There seems to be little question that the growing availability of tablet and e-reader devices, coupled with the increased availability of books in electronic format on the internet, will drive a major shift in reading habits all over the world.  The local press here in Korea has taken note, as in the Chosun Ilbo article entitled "Print Publishers Find New Life Through Tablet PCs."  The embedded illustration accompanied that article (click to see a larger version).

So far, I've held off on purchasing a tablet-sized device.  Although the form factor of the iPad is appealing, I still consider it too heavy as a reader.   However, I'm sure that as costs continue to come down and these devices become lighter in weight and with more features, I'll become a user.  The question of whether I will use such a device to read books has already been answered.  In fact, the majority of books I've read in recent years, along with magazines, newspapers and academic journals, have appeared on my computer screen.   I'm sure this is true for most of you who read this blog.

More on Microsoft Monoculture and the Mobile Revolution in Korea

An article in The Korea Times yesterday highlights an important aspect of the mobile broadband revolution occurring in South Korea, namely the problems caused by the so-called "Microsoft Monoculture" that has grown up here.  Readers of this blog will know from earlier posts that I've been an observer of the heavy reliance on Microsoft and its implications for Korea.

The article notes the great popularity of both the Apple iPad, running on the Apple OS, and the new Samsung Galaxy Tab, which runs on the Android operating system.   Unfortunately, despite all of their other attractive features, the fact that these devices do not work with the older Microsoft software that has been adopted for online banking and many e-government services in Korea somewhat limits their utility.   The article correctly notes how the nearly exclusive adoption of Microsoft's Active X and public key certificates is at the heart of this problem.   Ironically, Micorosft itself has been moving away from Active X for a long time now due to security problems.   Another factor diminishing the appeal of the iPad is that it will not display many "Flash-happy" Korean websites.

The article might have gone on to note that the mobile broadband revolution involves not only Korea, but is global in scope.  Most likely, the introduction of the iPad and the Galaxy Tab signal an increasingly urgent need for South Korea to jettison its reliance on Microsoft and move more aggressively into the mobile and ubiquitous network environment of the future!