Tablet Computers

Tablet Computers

The iPad Mini
The iPad Mini

A tablet computer, is a one-piece mobile computer. Devices typically offer a touchscreen, with finger (or stylus) gestures acting as the primary means of control, though often supplemented by the use of one or more physical buttons; an on-screen virtual keyboard is generally offered as the principal means of data input. Available in a variety of sizes, tablets customarily offer a screen diagonal greater than 7", differentiating themselves through size from functionally similar smart phones or personal digital assistants.

Windows Surface with attachable keyboard
Windows Surface with keyboard

Though generally self-contained a tablet computer may be connected to a physical keyboard (or other input devices as shown on the left), and a number of hybrids that offer a detachable keyboard have been marketed since the mid 1990s, as have a number of convertible touchscreen notebook computers that offer an integrated keyboard that can be hidden by a swivel joint or slide joint, exposing only the screen for touch operation. Conceptualised in the mid-20th century and developed in the last two decades of that century the devices only recently became practical and affordable.

As of March 2012, 31% of U.S. Internet users were reported to have a tablet, which was used mainly for viewing published content such as video and news. Among tablets available in the market in 2012, the top-selling line of devices is Apple's iPad with 100 million sold by mid October 2012 since it was released in April 3, 2010, followed by Amazon's Kindle Fire with 7 million, and Barnes & Noble's Nook with 5 million (Parish, 2013).