It’s a long round for poor HIT managers! (Ding!) Steve’s list from TechRepublic (see ’10 things…’) just got a bit longer as tablets are now proliferating like headache pills. Device consistency, personal devices, impact on HIT systems and support, sheer confusion…stock up on the paracetamol (acetaminophen). Just in the past week, three major tablet announcements (all from The Wall Street Journal):
- Motorola: not the ‘Rugged’ but a tablet built on Android’s new system optimized for tablets, ready early 2011. 10″ screen, phone connectivity. Video.
- Samsung: the just-unveiled Galaxy Tab will be in stores for the holidays, 7″ touch screen, also Android, thin and compact (this will fit in a lab coat), phone and WiFi versions. Video.
- BlackBerry/Research In Motion: the unnamed but already dubbed ‘BlackPad’ may debut on Monday for a 4th quarter release. Rumors have it with one or two cameras and a 7″ touch screen. Bluetooth and broadband connectivity but no phone connectivity–no, you need to tote around your BlackBerry for that (clunk). And a new operating system, QNX, that your BB doesn’t have yet. Article (check the withering comments on BB) and ‘Between the Lines’ on ZDNet, which twigs onto the key enterprise users and the possible ‘no confidence’ in their brand new OS6.
Chart: Wall Street Journal. Be kind to your HIT manager!