Tablets...?? The way of future?

The Tablet Winds Are Changing For Everyone, Including Apple And Microsoft

Tablets are the way of the future... right? Well that would be the case if you asked just about anyone who uses them. Some experts would say otherwise unfortunately. Tablets have come a long way since Apple came along and introduced the iPad back in 2010. Ever since that point, an entirely new category was opened up for other tech companies to come along and develop new products in. Over time that have been a few changes though. Certain companies can only stay on top for so long. We've known that Microsoft was the top dog tech company for years and years. The PC was good to go but again, times have changed. PC's aren't as sought after as they used to be. The tablet sales are also going downhill a little bit, even for Apple. So Microsoft and Apple have something to worry about now... don't they?

Well, yes and no.

• Microsoft

Microsoft hasn't had the best luck lately. With the recent deal between IBM and Apple, the funeral for PC's has been set. Think about this. Just with the way that technology has gone more mobile, the days of stationary computing are gone. That's just the facts. Microsoft recently killed off it's attempts at a mini tablet with the death of the Surface Mini. This is a big deal for Microsoft. The small screen tablet market has been filled up with other companies' products, such as Apple's iPad Mini or Google's Nexus 7. Since these tablets are already well established on the market, Microsoft wouldn't be making the best investment should they've decided to release it. No one would've taken notice since they're 2 years late and the fact that their operating system's staple office programs don't work very well on small screen tablets.

• Apple

Recently there have been reports of Apple's iPad sales going down. This has led experts to think that the iPad is on its way out. They couldn't be more wrong. The way that we deal with tablets is oddly reminiscent of the way that we deal with most other computing technology. Yes, I feel that tablets are basically smartphones without the phone part, but they aren't dealt with in the same manner. What I mean by this is that we deal with our tablets the same way we deal with our laptops and computers. We don't normally replace our laptops or computers every 2 years like we do with our phones. Because of this, this is going to cause a lull in sales over a particular amount of time. Not to mention the fact that people don't just trash their tablets after their done with them. They typically pass them down in order to save money. So the sales have slowed but people are still buying tablets, just not as much as they used to.

What Does This Mean For Both Of These Companies?

Apple doesn't really have much to worry about. Mainly because they are Apple and until another company one ups them, they will always be a fashion statement in terms of the most advanced tech. They will continue to make more tablet iterations of the iPad. I'm sure we can expect to see the iPad Air 2 some time soon. The only thing is that the sales might still fade unless they are in the holiday season to boost sales. Microsoft is a different story. People don't resort to Microsoft for their mobile technology needs like they do for Apple and Samsung. Microsoft has the Surface Pro 3 out and even though it's been getting good reviews, it's still not everyone's first choice. The Windows phones don't seem to be doing well either. Naturally, Microsoft is just a PC company and unless they are able to create something game changing for the mobile technology world, they're going to be out of luck in terms of sales.

The tablet market is going through a change right now, and only the top companies will remain in the game. Apple will be fine until someone knocks them off of their throne, but Microsoft looks to be on the ropes in comparison. Time will only tell how long Microsoft will last, and what will become of the current tablet market and it's future.

NEWS

• Rosetta: Waiting game after comet lander glitch

Rosetta, The first spacecraft landing on a comet.

Philae is a robotic European Space Agency lander that accompanied the Rosetta spacecraft until its designated landing on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, more than ten years after departing Earth. On 12 November 2014, the lander achieved the first-ever controlled touchdown on a comet nucleus. Its instruments are expected to obtain the first images from a comet's surface and make the first in situ analysis to determine its composition.

The lander is named after Philae Island in the Nile, where an obelisk was found and used, along with the Rosetta Stone, to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics.

• Microsoft is changing the name of "Nokia Lumia" to "Microsoft Lumia"

Microsoft’s first Lumia device is being officially unveiled as the Lumia 535 today, a low-cost smartphone that underlines exactly where the company is heading with Windows Phone. Microsoft’s Lumia 535 isn’t all that different from the Nokia devices that have come before it, but it’s the first to drop the Nokia branding in favor of Microsoft text at the rear and front, and a company logo on the colorful removable shell. All future Lumia devices will launch with Microsoft branding, and existing Lumias with the Nokia moniker will continue to be known as Nokia handsets.

The addition of 1GB of RAM here instead of the usual 512MB is an important move, especially as a lot of Windows Phone games require higher amounts of RAM. Microsoft has also included auto brightness, and a 5-megapixel forward-facing camera with a wide angle lens. In my review of Microsoft’s latest low-end Lumia 630 I had complained about a lack of forward-facing camera, 512MB of RAM, and a lack of automatic display brightness, so it’s encouraging to see Microsoft address all these drawbacks in a device at an even lower price point.With no new flagship Lumia devices planned this year, Microsoft is betting on low-end handsets to push Lumia sales and Windows Phone market share, a tactic that Nokia adopted before its phone division joined Microsoft earlier this year. Specifications might be low on the Lumia 535, but Microsoft has made some changes that don’t compromise the experience as much as some other budget Lumia devices. The Lumia 535 comes with a 5-inch qHD display (960 x 540), a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, and 1GB of RAM. While the screen is something you’d normally see back in 2011, viewing angles aren’t as bad as you’d expect even if the pixels are clearly visible.Microsoft is tempting potential Lumia 535 owners with what it calls a "5x5x5" proposition. Essentially, it’s five integrated Microsoft services: Skype, Office, OneDrive, Cortana, and OneNote. While Microsoft can and should be bundling these essential apps, it’s hard to see these — with the exception of Cortana — as differentiators. Microsoft’s Skype, Office, OneDrive, and OneNote apps are all better on iOS and Android compared to their Windows Phone equivalents. It might work at the low-end here with the Lumia 535 as owners aren’t expecting much for their money, but it’s increasingly difficult for the company to use these services as a unique offering for its Lumia phones across the board."LUMIA IS VERY MUCH OUR SMARTPHONE BRAND."What the Lumia 535 really signals is Microsoft’s clear plan for Windows Phone. The software giant has been signing partnerships with low-cost hardware makers, and Windows Phone is sorely lacking a flagship device to compete with the iPhone 6, Nexus 6, and many other high-end Android devices this holiday season. Microsoft is focusing on the low-end of the market to drive growth and keep Windows Phone healthy. Microsoft did have an opportunity to partially reset here, but it’s keeping the numbering scheme Nokia introduced, and even the Lumia brand. "We believe that there’s a lot of equity in people’s knowledge and understanding at the basic level of our numbering scheme," says Neil Broadley, director of phone product marketing at Microsoft. "Lumia is very much our smartphone brand," explains Broadley, noting that Surface will remain focused solely on "iconic tablet experiences."Perhaps the most surprising part of the Lumia 535 is its price. Microsoft is aiming to make the handset available in single- and dual-SIM variants for around 110 euros ($130) in November. That’s slightly more than the $114 the Lumia 530 debuted at, but for the extra cash you’re getting a bigger display, forward-facing camera, and a reasonable bump in specifications. Microsoft’s Lumia 535 will be available initially in Asian markets, expanding to Russia and the Middle East in the coming months.

Random Knowledge

Here is some random knowledge.

1.Starlight Camera: These cameras are used to make films and take photographs at night with the help of infrared light which is then converted into visible form to human eye. Infrared is used because it does not disturb the animals at night as visible light does.

A Picture taken by Starlight Camera

2.Highest Air Speed: 483 Km/Hour is the highest speed of air measured during a tornado.

A Formal Tornado

Stay tuned for more interesting knowledge.

Regards, 

M. Asad Shakeel

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