April 3, 2010 - that was the date the first iPad was released. The tablet as a computing form factor has come a long way in just three and a half years. Yesterday, Apple unveiled new models, Nokia took the wraps off its new tablet and Microsoft's new Surface tablet started shipping. But all those events are just a small taste of what's happening in the tablet world. According to Forrester Research, by 2017 total worldwide sales of tablets will reach 381 million units. A majority of these will be purchased by consumers, but enterprise purchases will make up 18 percent - having risen every year as a percentage of sales since the inception of the market. By 2017 tablets will be used by more than one in eight people on earth, including 29 percent of online consumers globally. And while Apple was the company that popularized tablet computers, its market share is under increasing threat. IDC found that Apple's 2013 global market share as of June 2013 had shrunk to 32.4 percent. Back in June 2012, its global market share was a whopping 60.3 percent. The popularity of the Apple operating system is crashing too. The Android operating system now holds 62.6 percent of global market share. This is important because developers and accessory manufacturers will create the most new apps and products for the operating system that they perceive has the most potential for sales. There is a wildcard in the whole tablet game and that's coming from Microsoft. As of the second quarter of this year, the Windows operating system had just four percent of the global tablet market but that's surely about to change. Windows 8.1 officially became available last Thursday. It brought many new features coupled with interface improvements to Microsoft's OS. Microsoft has also redesigned Windows Store claiming that the new format, “improves how great apps are showcased and makes it easier for customers to get the apps they want.” The launch of Windows 8.1 has resulted in many new Windows-based tablets coming to the marketplace. While 10.1 inch tablets used to be the norm, the new size darling seems to be eight inches. Acer, Dell, Toshiba and Lenovo are backing the eight inch tablet size and all are pushing their tablets as both content consuming and content creating devices, albeit nothing to match a Windows laptop, but much smaller and lighter. These tablets come with Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 pre-installed, so there's no additional software purchase required to type out a quick homework assignment or check a spreadsheet after office hours. All but Toshiba make available an optional keyboard and the Toshiba Encore does have a port where a keyboard could be connected. Not all manufacturers though are going for a smaller tablet size. Bucking the trend, Panasonic has just unveiled the Toughpad 4K UT-MB5, the world's first 20 inch tablet with a 4K resolution display. The tablet's 4K viewing experience is more than four times better than HD at 3840 x 2560 pixels. The huge Toughpad comes with an Electronic Touch Pen that provides a paper-like feel for sketching, annotation or handwriting. The pen uses infrared signals to distinctly read every single pixel on the screen and communicates it with the tablet via Bluetooth. This Windows 8.1 tablet is not targeting consumers and is intended for businesses who perhaps require a collaborative design device or a display for specialized functionality in a retail setting. While the Toughpad 4K UT-MB5 is technically mobile, it can only last two hours on battery power. It will retail in November for $5900.
