While tablets have been around for well over 10 years, it was the introduction of the iPad in April, 2010 when they really started to take off as an alternative to the laptop computer. Their primary advantage was their portability. You could hold it in one hand while filling out a form, plop it on your lap while watching a video and hand it to a customer to get a signature. While all of these things were possible with a laptop, they were awkward and the fact that the iPad was a few pounds lighter to tote around certainly didn’t hurt.
Five years later, the rationale for choosing an iPad has not changed that much. There are newer models but its primary function (portability) has not changed. What has changed is that there are other computing devices that are starting to infringe on the iPad’s main advantage. Laptops have gotten lighter and smart phones have gotten bigger allowing these devices to overlap some of the iPad’s core feature set.
While I would argue that the iPad is still superior for its intended purpose than the smart phone or the laptop, there is no denying that if you cannot justify possessing all three devices, the iPad may be the one that gets short changed. So, it’s up to Apple to add more uniqueness to the iPad to justify it as a separate mobile device so that it does not get usurped by its bigger and smaller cousins. And if the rumors are true, it appears that Apple will be adding some newer iPad models with features in iOS 9 to provide them with this uniqueness.
These new features are rumored to include the following:
1. A larger iPad model (12 to 13 inches). This would correspond in size to a traditional laptop and a standard piece of paper.
2. A smaller iPad (iPad Mini) that would be lighter than current models and could be easily grasped in one hand to complete a task.
3. A multi-tasking split view feature (iOS 9) that would allow you to view two apps simultaneously on the screen. This would conceivably make you more productive as you would not have to switch back and forth between apps.
4. A stylus that would work with the larger iPad so that you could use for handwriting, drawings, navigation purposes, etc.
5. A multi-user login that would allow two or more users to use the same iPad without having to share content.
We hope these new features get added to the next generation of iPads and look forward to integrating them into future versions of the FormConnect apps.