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Compaq tablet“…it sure is comfortable to lie back on my couch while surfing those websites: the tablet is lighter, easier to hold, and easier to read, and the clamshell doesn’t get in my way.” – Simson Garfinkel, extolling the virtues of a borrowed Compaq tc1100 Tablet PC in his column in MIT Technology Review.

The TeleRead take: When it comes to reading–not necessarily everything–Simson Garfinkel obviously prefers tablets over laptops. I agree. For years, TeleRead has argued that the tablet form factor is often the best for reading s-books. Not always. When I’ll be waiting somewhere, my 320×480-resolution Sony NX60 PDA is handy to carry in my pants pocket; mobility wins out over the limits of the screen. In general, however, tablets are fine. The ergonomics make sense.

The clamshell factor and other hassles…

Not necessarily so with laptops–and not just because of the clamshell factor.  The angle question isn’t the only one. If nothing else, the optimal distance between your eyes and a laptop screen may clash with the best distance between your back and the keyboard. Your back could kill you if you’re at this hour after hour. That’s one reason why I’d much rather the schools get students reading off tablets than laptops. Children can develop back pains from carrying around too many books, but why should they risk problems from a higher-tech source?

…vs. the belly rest

Many people might disagree. An editor I know, for example, likes to stretch out and read with the laptop resting on her stomach, and for her, it’s comfortable. But can you imagine the same thing happening in a classroom? I love the idea of K-12 laptop programs like the one in Maine, but I hope that the schools will look ahead and consider the benefits of the tablet form factor. Keyboards could be carried in backpacks along with the tablets themselves. The Tablet PC approach is also worthy of consideration. And if vendors like Apple can come up with superior solutions to any discussed here, then so much the better. While I agree with the Garfinkel column that there’s no need to trash your laptop, it would help to look ahead–especially when Tablet PC prices come down in a serious way.

Bottom line: The more comfortable students are when they take in a book, the more hours they’ll devote to uninterrupted reading. As much as I love interactivity, must we constantly be typing? Books offer a good opportunity for focused and sustained reflection in the context of someone else’s thoughts. And the tablet form factor can go a long way toward encouraging this.

 
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