CES is supposed to be about tablets. Actually, it’s about screens.
At a Pepcom press event this evening, tablets were everywhere, in every conceivable size. Of course, they offered what iPad doesn’t (at least for now): front and rear-facing cameras; USB and SD slots; expandability.
But size was what grabbed me. Every size suggests a different use, a different “tween” product that fills in the gray between laptop and smart phone and possibly replaces some every day analog function: 8”x10” (just a shade bigger than iPad) replaces your paper notepad; 7”x3” fits in your coat pocket; 5”x3” (a shade larger than iPhone) replaces your note cards; and so forth
A doctor seeing patients may well need a different form factor than a musican playing sheet music, a kid doing his homework, or a family watching TV on vacation.
I know I’m getting ahead of things. But it’s pretty clear where things are going, even if it takes a few more years to get there.
For media companies, this is mostly good news. Screens are a commodity; content is gold.
