Tim Anderson's ITWriting

February 8, 2004

Tablet ad misses the mark

Saw an ad for the Tablet PC in today's Observer magazine. It's a generic Microsoft ad, and the headline is "Turn distraction into inspiration".

It probably matters little, but while I'm a Tablet believer, I don't think this particular ad conveys its benefits. I use my Tablet frequently, and find it has two big advantages. First, it is great for taking notes at meetings. I've even used the audio sync successfully. Second, the Tablet is miles better than a conventional clamshell if you want to show others what is on the screen, which for me is a common requirement. Put another way, a conventional laptop is almost the worst design possible for this. By default others can only see the back of the screen; if you try to pass it around, the screen flaps on its hinge. The Tablet solves these problems.

So what do we get in the ad? Someone using their Tablet in the kitchen over breakfast. Not particularly persuasive. I hope it proves effective though, because the Tablet is a great concept and deserves to succeed.

For more Tablet musings, see my article on ITWriting.com.