Minimizing Your Online Footprint

September 2, 2011 Leave a comment

Global Internet Usage

Internet usage amongst the world’s population has increased significantly. Since 1990, 30.2% of the world’s population uses the Internet. Since the year 2000 there has been a 480.4% increase, which is quite substantial. North America has the largest Internet footprint in the world at around 70%, followed by Oceanic regions such as Australia, and then Europe. This increase in Internet usage has burdened the global Internet infrastructure, and every user is adding to this. One way of lessening the burden is by minimizing our Internet footprint. This basically means that we can adopt a few simple practices that will ensure that we use the least amount of bandwidth and therefore help strengthen the Internet.

Bandwidth Usage

Every click on a web page link, or every search on Google results in Internet traffic being exchanged. This traffic crosses and is processed by network devices that form a web of infrastructure, hence the term World Wide Web. Every YouTube video consumes bandwidth as well, and large movie downloads also result in increased web traffic. This affects both you and me. First, it affects you because if you have an Internet cap limit set by your Internet service provider, then the more Internet you use, the more you will pay if you cross the limit. Secondly, it affects everyone else because the more traffic that you impose on the infrastructure, the slower it becomes for the rest of Internet users that are sharing that same infrastructure.

Tips On Lessening the Internet Footprint

Here are a few simple tips that can help lessen the online footprint.

  1. Download actual music files instead of playing YouTube videos. This tip basically means that instead of playing a YouTube video to hear your favourite song, you can download the actual MP3 and just play that. This will reduce your Internet traffic because every YouTube video you watch, it consumes bandwidth in order to download it to your system. YouTube downloading is also known as streaming media, and every time you watch or listen to a different clip, you are consuming bandwidth.
  2. Don’t use short URLs. Short URLs are provided by different web services such TinyURL.com and help make a lengthy hyperlink into a short one that can be pasted or written out easier. How does this increase the online footprint? Well, every time you click a short URL, it has to trace itself to the real URL or hyperlink, which results in slowing down the Internet. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t use short URLs at all, but what I’m suggesting is basically using less of them in order to keep Internet speeds up.
  3. Work offline when viewing common websites. If you’re commonly viewing the same website over and over again, you can use the offline feature of your web browser and download the material to your computer so you don’t have to send traffic on the Internet. Even if you need a certain site for any reason when you don’t have a link to the Internet, say you’re out of the house, you can use the offline feature prior to leaving and download the website to view later.
  4. Keep track of downloads. Often people keep downloading the same file over and over again, even though they have an original copy of it in their downloads directory. Keeping track of all your downloaded files can help in knowing when not to download a duplicate file. This too will reduce unnecessary Internet traffic.

By reducing the traffic on the Internet we can help make sure that the Internet stays fast and responsive.

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Security for Your Medical Centre – Part 1

August 18, 2011 1 Comment

Security is essential for any medical centre running IT systems. These days there are more threats than ever before, and to keep guard is one of the requirements for any health IT infrastructure. This series on data security measures for your medical centre entails topics such as basic terminology of attackers, different attacking methods, statistics of IT security, and how to secure your network.  There are many types and classifications of threats and we will go through some of them in this part of the series so your organization has the insight and knowledge to properly understand these critical issues.

Why is Security for Your IT Systems Important?

If your security is breached it means that your data can be stolen, altered, or destroyed. Serious issues such as the loss of privacy and theft of information can land your company in legal turmoil. It is hard to determine how secure your network should be because the more secure your network is, the less accessible are the resources on the network. Your organization has to determine the fine balance between having more access to certain network resources, but having less security, or having less access to network resources and having more security.

Security Threats are Rising

Attack tools and methods have drastically evolved and have become easier for even novice users to break through data security walls using the simplest of tools. Here is a brief look at how attacks have evolved over the years:

  • 1985: Password guessing and code replication
  • 1990: Password cracking and war dialing (calling lists of numbers to hack into phone systems, fax machines, and computers)
  • 1995: Viruses, including Love Bug, Nimda, and Code Red
  • 2000: Trojan horses such as Back Orifice
  • 2005: Worms including Blaster, MyDoom, and Slammer
  • 2010: Packet sniffing, social engineering, and phishing

Attacks that once involved deep knowledge of computer and computer systems can now be performed by entry level computer enthusiasts. This is because many of the attack tools, such as password cracking, have been simplified to the extent where even beginners can take advantage of them. Some of these tools come with easy-to-use graphical user interfaces that make them easy to understand and use for beginners. This has resulted in people committing computer crime where they previously would not have.

Terminology You Should Know

White Hat: A hacker who seeks vulnerabilities in systems and exposes them for the purpose of having them be fixed. A white hat hacker is a good guy who uses his or her knowledge to improve the security of a system.

Hacker: A computer programming expert who can use his/her computing knowledge to bypass systems. This term is usually associated with a negative connotation and generally refers to anyone who bypasses security systems.

Black Hat: A hacker who gains unauthorized access to systems and uses it in a negative way. For example, one who steals information for monetary gains or compromises systems with a malicious intent.

Phisher: A person who sets up fake links to websites and dupes people into giving their personal information, such as passwords, and then uses that information for personal gain, i.e. stealing money from their bank account.

Attack Methods

There are many types of attacks and they can get confusing. A few attacking methods mentioned here are intended to give you a “heads up” on how these attacks are executed.

  1. Social Engineering: This is one of the simplest of attack methods. One simply dupes the other party into giving critical information that is in turn used to gain access. Phishing, as mentioned above, is of this classification. I have heard of companies who have had their security systems compromised simply by a phone call of a person pretending to be the president of the company, who had forgotten his/her password. The employee on the other end believes it is the actual president and offers him/ her access to the computer systems. This attack can be mitigated by constructing and following a security policy for your company.
  2. Viruses: These little pieces of software code can do a lot of damage to the integrity of your computer systems. These codes are written to infect computer systems and to either render them useless or take over the systems. Some of them ask for money in return for leaving the system unharmed. I would include worms, Trojan horses, and malware in this category as well. This attack method can be mitigated by using an up-to-date virus scanner.
  3. Password-cracking: One of the most used password-cracking methods is known as Brute Force. Basically this techniques cycles through different combinations of characters hoping that eventually it will get the right combination and break through the system. It is always recommended that the password you set should be a “strong” password, meaning that it should contain small and large letters, numbers, and unique characters, such as “$”, “@”, or “&”. Setting a strong password will hinder the brute force method.
  4. Sniffing: This method commonly refers to the ability of the hacker to “listen” in on network traffic and thereby discover the passwords. This can be easily accomplished by using network tools (i.e. WireShark) to drop in on computer conversations on the network and capture the usernames and passwords. There are many other techniques that allow the hacker to gain access, such as the man-in-the-middle technique that places the hacker in the middle of the conversation of two network computers, and then the hacker is able to intercept the username and password to gain unauthorized access.

Data Security for Your Medical Centre – Part 2
The next article in this series takes a look at the statistics of IT security.

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WDTV Live

July 8, 2011 Leave a comment

Media Player

Gone are the days where you would need to burn a video or audio file to a DVD or CD in order to play it on a TV or theatre system. With the WDTV Live media player, one only needs to connect the device via a network connection or USB to play almost any media file. This media player plays full 1080p HD video and also has a YouTube app built into it so that you can stream YouTube videos straight to your TV. I wouldn’t see it as hard to argue that media players, in general, have taken a bite out of the Blu-ray market. These devices have probably increased the amount of downloading of movies and TV shows as it becomes so easy to play whatever you have on your PC to your TV.

Functionality

The WDTV Live comes with a small remote that enables one to interact with the user interface. The user interface itself is quite easy to navigate as it presents icons of videos, music, and pictures that you can simply play by pressing the enter button on the remote. A USB keyboard can also be attached to aid in typing of search strings for YouTube videos.

There are two USB ports, an Ethernet adapter, a HDMI connection, and composite connectors as well. The device can be made to connect to a wireless network with the purchase of a separate wireless adapter that is compatible with the device. The list of compatible wireless adapters can be found from the WD website.

Issues

There are a number of issues that can arise in terms of operability. One of the most annoying problems is the network connection issue. Workgroup computers are sometimes not detected, or funny connection errors come on the screen when trying to connect to a PC. Even though there have been a number of firmware updates, WD still hasn’t been able to resolve many of the network problems that plague the WDTV Live.

There are also issues with playback of certain media file types. Encodings of HD video sometimes result in jittery playback, where the media player is unable to smoothly play the HD video. This is not always the case, although it happens more frequently to 1080p videos than 720p videos.

Conclusion

If you can see past the glitches that come with this device, it will provide you with one of the most unique entertainment experiences found today. The ease of playing audio, pictures, and videos from any network PC or USB is what makes this device applicable to tech enthusiasts and people interested in multimedia entertainment.

Rating: 4/5

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IT Needs for Medical Offices and Clinics

June 23, 2011 1 Comment

Medical clinics and doctor offices usually have a simplified IT infrastructure model as compared to businesses. The needs of a medical clinic and office revolve around the issues of redundancy, in terms of backup, and the health of the hardware and software of the computers. In addition to this, many clinics and offices use specialized patient database software to maintain their schedules and inventory. These specialized software may be purchased from independent developers from which IT support is also required from. IT consulting companies, such as Soulistech, have a role to play here as a managed service provider (MSP) and as an administrator in taking care of the PCs and the network, something that the developer cannot offer. Some clinics and offices are upgrading their infrastructure to EMR/EHR, and as such the demand for upkeep of all of the services mentioned above is increasing.

What Are the Primary IT Needs of a Clinic/Office?

There are three primary IT infrastructure needs that a clinic or medical office has to implement. These three needs are:

1. Computers
2. Network (printers, scanners, etc. included)
3. Backup Solution

Computers

The first primary need is of proper computer implementation. Computers can be custom built to match the needs of the clinic or office, or they can be purchased from computer manufacturers such as HP or Dell. I prefer to go after hardware over looks. Most computers in medical offices and clinics are not visible to the patients. Therefore, going after fancy cases should not be a concern. What matters more are the internal components that should run smoothly and efficiently. Fancy cases sometimes pose a problem when it comes to repair as their port structure and form factor hinder easy access to components. I suggest a range of $300 to $400 for a computer (without a monitor) that should be sufficient for a medical clinic or office.

Network

The second primary need is that of the network. The network infrastructure consists of switches, routers, and peripheral devices like the printer or scanner. Cisco offers the best networking solutions when it comes to switches and routers, but D-link and HP also offer good products for less of a cost. Ethernet wiring (cables for the network to connect all of the devices) should be at the very least Cat. 5e so that it can accommodate Gigabit speeds. I would prefer Cat. 6, as needs for the future should be considered when placing a network. Some clinics and offices don’t have Internet connection. This is something that needs to be thought out as remote support options aren’t available if there is no Internet connection, and the cost of on-site support can cost more than the remote support. As for printers and scanners, a Xerox device or any HP LaserJet can do the job. Support for these devices usually come with the manufacturer for a limited time.

Backup Solution

Probably the most important need for medical offices and clinics is a proper backup solution. I’ve experienced a case where patient data had not been properly backed up for two years and when a problem hit, there was no recent backup for all of the patient data. Luckily I was able to extract the core files from the broken down computer’s hard drive and insert them into the new computer. If it wasn’t for that, that clinic would have lost crucial data that would have hurt them in many ways. I recommend on-site and off-site backup: a hybrid solution of backing up to an external drive or network share as well as backing up to the Internet, in case a fire or burglary hits. Having a backup solution that works is important and that requires proper checks. Daily checks of both the on-site and off-site backups should be done by an MSP like Soulistech to ensure proper security and availability of data.

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The Windows Saga

June 8, 2011 Leave a comment

In a Time Long, Long Ago…

Microsoft Windows debuted in November of 1985. It didn’t garner much support or fanfare as it lacked features and was mostly an extension of the MS-DOS operating system. Since then, Windows has grown in popularity and has eventually become the dominant operating system in the world. With all its success, it has fallen to some conditional errors seen in the continuation of the Windows series. By that I mean, Windows XP was a solid hit and continuation of Windows is becoming a stretched phenomenon as less and less computers use any operating system beyond XP. 75% of computers operating in businesses still use Windows XP. Everyone knows the pitfalls of Vista, but how is this saga likely to continue? Let’s take a look.

Windows 7 – The Saviour

With the complete blunder of Vista, Microsoft needed to redeem itself. They did this through creating Windows 7. Windows 7 doesn’t have the sluggishness of Vista, it runs faster, and has polished features. Without Windows 7, Microsoft could not have rebounded from the failure of Vista. The success rate for Windows 7 is around 10% for all the computers in the world. As you can see, Windows XP still has a larger market share than Windows 7. This is the problem that Microsoft needs to tackle. Businesses are still running XP because there’s no real need to bump up the hardware and therefore no need to install a new operating system. Take TD bank, their office computers are still running XP because it suffices for them. All they need to do is access the company database through their internal network, as well as do simple web browsing. They don’t need to upgrade to anything fancier.

Windows 8

When I think of Windows 8, I immediately think: do we need it? Windows 7 has done such a great job, why change that? The market share for Windows 7 isn’t as great as Windows XP, so why bring in a new contender to early. 2014 would be the year I imagine that Windows 8 to come out. 2012 is too early. Another thing not going for Windows 8 is the fact that it too could be a flop like Vista. Does Microsoft really want to take that chance? All of this, not to mention the problem of OS fragmentation, really does beg the question: do we need Windows 8 so fast?

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Security for Your Business – Part 2

May 25, 2011 Leave a comment

Statistics of IT Security Threats

This article is a continuation of Security for Your Business – Part 1. We will discuss various statistics related IT threats and security concerns. This article points out clearly the importance and significance of securing your IT infrastructure. Do not hesitate in anyway from ensuring proper security measures, as not doing so can lead to damage and theft of your business data.

Phishing Scams

Phishing scams come under social engineering attacks. They provide a fake e-mail or website that looks like an authentic one and tricks you into putting your username and password. Once they capture your username and password, they now have access to your bank account or whatever website they are pretending to be.

A disputed study by Trusteer showed that spear phishing a hundred LinkedIn users resulted in a failure rate of 68%. That would mean that around 30% of those targeted with phishing attempts disclosed their personal data. That is significant enough for businesses to lose a substantial amount of money once their bank account information has been captured.

Cnet interviewed Michael Barrett, chief information security officer at PayPal (online payment processor) in April, 2011. This is what he had to say regarding the question of PayPal’s weakness to phishing attempts:

“I joined PayPal almost exactly five years ago and it’s fair to say the company had not realized at that point the true significance of phishing. But since that time we’ve put in place a number of defenses against it. It probably will never go away completely as a problem, but it can be substantially minimized. We’re at No. 8 on a list of most phished sites, which is better than being No. 1. I’m not satisfied with being No. 8 and I’d really like to obliterate the crime completely, but I realize that will take another five years to get to that state. A few years ago we started digitally signing all our outbound e-mail and we worked with Yahoo and Google so if they saw e-mail that purported to come from us but wasn’t signed they would block it. That has been stunningly successful. Now we’re trying to get the whole industry to take up that type of approach. But it will take several more years of pushing to get the rest of the industry to do that.” (1)

Malware

Malware is software that is damaging to your computer in various ways. Spyware is a type of malware that infects a computer and relays information of your computer use to different parties.

In 2007, Kaspersky Labs was seeing new malware samples every two minutes, but in 2010, just three years later, that had increased to one new sample every two seconds.

This is what InformationWeek has to say about small businesses and virus threats:

“Small business respondents’ other top concerns were Trojan applications (60%), malware designed by criminals expressly to steal data (59%), data leaks (56%), spyware (55%), and fake AV (52%). Spam and phishing threats ranked lowest. Most of today’s antivirus software suites protect against many viruses and worms. But when it comes to data-stealing malware, 21% of small U.S. business respondents said that their IT department could do a better job of protecting end users. Notably, only 47% of small businesses install security software to help stop such malware, 30% offer related security policies, and 28% provide relevant education or guidance.” (2)

Some are touting Cloud resources as the answer to fighting back malware spread. That remains to be seen.

Security Breaches – Hacks

It’s interesting to note that organizations attribute 59% of all security breaches to human error. This can occur if the network administrator has failed to set up the proper security barriers, or it can occur by inadvertently giving our information that a hacker can use to compromise the system.

About half of all organizations consider IT security a top priority. This stat indicates two scenarios. One, namely that there are pockets of IT infrastructures that don’t need high security. Perhaps these are small businesses that have a wireless network setup, and they don’t see themselves as a potential target from hackers. The network is small and their data isn’t all that critical. The second is that IT security is seen as a big issue for larger organizations. They have important data that cannot be leaked and as such they are prime targets for hackers. Hackers use stolen company data to sell to competitors and it is quickly becoming a lucrative business. Larger organizations need security for their systems and that entails purchasing the right equipment and having it administered properly.

The cost of an individual data breach – including lost business and the burden of responding to the incident – in 2010 increased 13% year-over-year for U.K. companies. That roughly equals $3 million for each breach, which is quite substantial. Needless to say, every organization, small or big, should pay close attention to its IT security needs.

Viruses

Small businesses still fear the virus according to a new survey of 1,600 end users in Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and United States. Conducted by antivirus vendor Trend Micro, viruses are the leading concern for 63% of small businesses.

A CompTIA stat shows that 33% of law firms admit to experiencing a security issue such as a virus. That’s only law firms, if you total firms from other fields the number is much higher.

Conclusion

The presentation of stats and facts in this article is only intended to create an awareness of various cyber threats. Cyber security is a huge issue and should not be taken lightly.

References

(1) http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20052310-245.html#ixzz1MvDmlGv5
(2) http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/vulnerabilities/228200171

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Google Chromebook: The Future?

May 18, 2011 Leave a comment

Cloud Computing to the Next Level

There’s another player in the IT operating system (OS) market now, and it’s by Google. The Google Chromebook offers a web (or Cloud) OS that derives its applications from the Internet and thereby reduces the need for expensive hardware. Although the Cloud has been in existence for sometime now, Google offers a PC that is solely geared for a web interface. At the heart of the Chromebook is the Chrome web browser that acts as the portal to the whole web experience. No complications with installations, patches, or viruses as all of this is administered through the Internet with the full support of Google.

Business Mechanics

How does this benefit businesses? Google claims that businesses can save up to 70% off their IT costs by contracting Chromebooks (more or less a mini laptop) for $28/month. The supposition here is that with the tech support of Google in areas of software and hardware maintenance, businesses can dramatically reduce their costs. Is this probable? Probably not. Google’s upper bound number of 70% is obviously stretched, but there does seem to be some possibility of reducing a certain amount of IT operating costs. Businesses that rely on applications that are Windows based probably won’t jump to this side of the coin. But, businesses requiring basic office applications and portability may love this. Along side this, nobody likes to rent a laptop for an indefinite period of time. It would be cheaper for businesses to actually go out and purchase a brand new laptop than pay $28/month for ever. This generalization doesn’t apply to all business though.

New Take on I.T.

Google’s new idea is kind of interesting, but I feel it lacks the technical depth needed to win over IT professionals. It is likely to gain momentum as the whole Cloud infrastructure takes off, but there’s nothing to administer. I don’t see how IT professionals will like that. Also, what are the applications that Google is touting? Can it provide hardcore Photoshop like programs that many businesses need? Can it provide printer management in the local or remote sites? Certainly there are big holes to fill before Google can gain dominance in this area. Applications over the web or software-as-a-service isn’t for many businesses. It’s is hard to port hundreds of megabytes of data that a program requires in a fraction of a second that today’s local storage systems provide. Yes, office type apps can run, but not heavy duty programs like Adobe Premiere Pro, etc.

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Easy Networking for Your Business

May 4, 2011 Leave a comment

A Networked Business

A network is basically computers and devices, like printers and servers, hooked up to each other. This allows for easy file transfer and printing of documents. If there was no network in place, files and resources would not be available to all of the computer users in the company. Networking allows resources to be distributed to all or some of the computers. It allows for user management and consolidation of files. A larger version of a network is the Internet. The Internet consists of computers, users, and resources available to all or a select number of people, i.e. e-mail, Facebook, etc.

Two Methods to Network a Business

The challenge for many small and medium businesses is how to link the computers in the network to each other. There are two ways to do this:

  1. Wired
  2. Wireless

The method you choose will determine how fast your network runs and the level of physical security it has. Wired is preferable in my opinion because it allows for higher speeds and adds a level of security, as I will discuss later, that is not available in wireless networks. Wireless networks, for their part, spare businesses of having to wire their offices with cables and jacks in the walls and therefore spare them also of having high costs associated with cabling their buildings.

To Go with Wire or Wireless?

As I’ve mentioned, wired networking adds a layer of physical protection. What it does is it makes it mandatory for someone to be physically present in the premises and linked to the network through a physical wire. Wireless networking on the other hand can be hacked, if proper security measures are not taken, as it broadcasts the wireless signals in and outside of the business compound. Hackers can come in their car and pick up your wireless signals and can intrude. Wireless signals aren’t broadcast everywhere, and have a range of typically 50 to 100 meters. This is the basic disadvantage of wireless networking.

Wireless networks do offer a less expensive option for businesses when it comes to networking. Foregoing cables and jacks in the wall, they give businesses flexibility in terms of physical location of computers and printers. For small businesses a wireless router should do the job as it can handle up to 25 devices sufficiently. Anything more would require a dedicated router with a dedicated wireless access point (WAP).

Personal Experience

I have done both wired and wireless network setups. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. For small businesses requiring one unit, I would recommend to go with wireless as it saves businesses the hassles mentioned above. If there is room for cabling through the walls, then wired would be my first choice.

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Usage Based Billing for the Internet: Canada’s Economic Folly

April 29, 2011 Leave a comment

What is Usage-Based Billing?

Usage-based billing (UBB) is something that was introduced to the CRTC in 2008 by Bell. What it does is, it puts a cap on the amount of Internet you consume and applies a fee for every gigabyte you use thereafter. What’s the problem with that? Well, it stifles Canada’s economy’s by downsizing the amount of consumer business done on the Internet, it limits the number of YouTube videos you can watch, and it makes sure that you get a minimum amount of Internet for a maximum amount of price. This great idea was put forth by Bell, in attempts to make sure that the 2% of its customers that use more Internet than others, makes the rest of the 98%, who don’t use much Internet, pay for it when they go over. It was also done in response to limit Bell’s competitors in the Internet service providers business.

How it Affects Canadians

Consumer use of the Internet is only increasing. With the advent of smartphones, tablets, and laptops, leisurely use of the Internet from home is consuming more and more gigabytes. It is projected that by 2015, video and Internet use will surpass 2.1 billion gigabytes in Canada. Who benefits from this? Service providers like Bell do. This proposed ruling was actually accepted by the CRTC to take place in March of 2011, but outrage over this from many Canadians caused the CRTC to review its case. The Conservative government has expressed concern over this ruling and has vowed to make sure Canadians are put in priority and not “taxed” over communicating over the Internet.

The Case for More Internet

We need more Internet for less. Simple. It costs less than a penny to route 1 gigabyte of data through the Internet. Bell is ready to charge you upwards of $5 a gigabyte. Gouging? I most certainly think so.

The Internet has become a universe in itself. In fact, companies are taking the Internet to outer space in the International Space Station and to planets in the future. We can’t be taxed over using the Internet because it has become so ubiquitous as a means of communication that we all rely on it. From businesses to schools, and from recreation to revolutions, the Internet is not only expanding our knowledge of things, but is accelerating it at an unbelievable pace. Putting a cap on how we interact in the digital domain will severely affect our economy and our social lives. Facebook, Twitter, and all of the social media sites will be taxed.

If we reverse the CRTC’s decision, we can expand our economy and better compete with countries like Japan who make our Internet service look a like snail in terms of how fast they have it there. The more we regulate Internet use, the less flexibility we’ll see our industries. On the contrary, having a less regulated Internet can spur new innovations and help place Canada at the top in the IT world.

What Can You Do About It?

Luckily we have an advocacy group that is doing a real good job on protesting this ridiculous UBB ruling. The group is called Open Media and you can visit their website at: www.openmedia.ca. Be sure to sign in on the petition to make you voice heard to the government and to the CRTC. Last I heard, we had close to half a million signatures. Let’s trump this decision once and for all for the sake our digital freedom!

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Prospects of Tablet PCs

April 19, 2011 1 Comment

With the decline of first quarter PC sales in 2011, tablet PCs are becoming the new primary computing device. A recent survey conducted suggested that around 25% of computer users now use their tablet as their main device for checking email and surfing the Internet. So is it likely that the tablet PC will replace the good old desktop computer? Well, let’s have a look.

Neither a Laptop Nor a Smartphone

By far, the most popular tablet is the iPad. The price and software options make it the front runner of all tablets. That’s not to say that other tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab or the Blackberry PlayBook aren’t worthwhile. I’m sure they have certain advantages, but Apple has really seemed to have knocked their device in this category off the playing field. In the past, laptops seemed like the right solution to a portable PC. Desktops were just that, they were meant to stay on top of your desktop, whereas laptops provided the student, the travelling business man, and the IT pro desktop mobility. Laptops now out-perform lower end desktops, and with that power comes a lot of heat being generated by the hardware. Some thought that the hot bottom surface of the laptop disqualified it from being called a “laptop” as it could not be comfortably placed on one’s lap. Hence, the secondary classification called notebooks. But laptops weren’t really notebooks either. They were heavy and had a screen that popped up and blocked your view of the meeting or the class lecture. Another solution proposed: netbooks. Small, light, and exactly what we need? Not really. They too were hard to use as the keyboard was typically small and during typing the hand would hit the mouse pad and mess up everything.

Here in comes the perfect in-between: the tablet. It’s actually way lighter and has the basic functionality of a laptop and a smartphone combined. The touch interface actually solves a lot. No need for a popup screen that blocks the view. An iPad can use its smartcover to prop it up so that one can write using the touchscreen (something one needs to get used to) and it doesn’t block the view.

Functionality and Use

The tablet seems to be the true notebook as its physical form resembles that of a real notebook. Like a paper pad or portfolio, it is easy to carry around from office to office or from class to class. The essential use of a tablet for a home user would probably come under using it as a casual email checking device or quick web browsing. Its ecosystem would probably entail a kitchen, living room, family room, and bedroom. Tablets are good for e-reading as well, so a quick check of the newspaper in the kitchen or a silent read in backyard would be one of its uses. That may not seem like much, but keep in mind that a tablet is an instant-on device. There’s no boot up time like a laptop or a desktop PC. So the quick access allows users in the home to not be hindered by a delay in turning it on. Tablets can also be used for viewing photo albums. Although media players and HTPCs allow the viewing of pictures on a TV, the feel and experience of a looking at high resolution pictures on a tablet is quite reassuring, kind of like flipping through a real photo album.

There are a host of business apps that allows creation from AutoCad to tracking statistics of sales and profit on the device. I believe development will yield better functionality and use in the coming years as tablets progress from their infancy to a wider range of implementations. I am setting forth a note taking process for my IT consulting business. My handwritten notes will be taken on my iPad and I will sync them with Google Apps. Here, I’m involving a digital process of record keeping and utilizing the Cloud at the same time. EMR systems are allowing doctors to take their notes on a tablet device and sync it with their server database as well as online Cloud storage. The flexibility of tablets is huge.

Future of Tablets

The prospects of tablet PCs seems to be bright. From the medical field to academics to professional business use, tablets will set a new paradigm in human interaction with technology. Tablets did make an early appearance in the year 2001, but they didn’t cook up a stir due to Microsoft’s lack of user interface cohesion. This rebirth, incited by Apple, seems to be more promising.

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