In the early twentieth century, the thought of writing on anything but paper would have been perplexing. However, technology has changed this; now, one can take notes and write on a multiplicity of things. These mediums include old-fashioned, trustworthy paper, but also computers and, most recently, tablets. Computers have only got increasingly more portable, but tablets are immensely portable. The graph shows the rise of 'computers' that corresponds with the use of technology from the 1950s. Tablets, however, show no increase up until 2000. Obviously, there is the tablet for medicinal uses, which is the reason for the use of the word on the graph. One may predict that the use of 'tablet' will rise exponentially in the near future. What remains to be seen, however, is if 'paper' will remain stubbornly unchanging, or whether another medium will take over as our favourite thing on which to write.
Does anybody actually call them 'tablets', apart from product reviewers? I just refer to my iPad as, erm, "iPad". The word 'tablet' kind of creates associations with stone slabs, which somewhat goes the wrong way.
ReplyDeleteAnother question is if — long-term — we will still 'write', or if speech and video will take over as the pre-dominant communications medium.
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ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with Oliver Mason about the 'tablet' naming thing. It just sounds funny referring to an iPad by any other name but iPad. Personally, I think the only reason that anyone persists with calling them 'tablets' is because the novelty is still fresh - I say once that wears off, no body is going to care what they call it.
And besides wasn't it Shakespeare who said: 'http://goo.gl/rXb6h' ?!
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Second question: I think effectively text (that is input through a virtual/physical keyboard) is on the way out...all because of a certain lady - Siri.
Let's face it, once the novelty of THAT had worn off for everyone (and for some I am certain it took a bit longer than others!), people started to see real ways in which it could be useful. And yes, I am the first to admit that there are real ways it can be useful to owners of the iPhone. There are just so many everyday situations where it is more convenient to dictate a text message than actually focus enough to type it...let's face it, we are fast becoming a lazy society - especially when it comes to expressing ourselves through txt(!). Listening to a certain talk show the evening after iOS 6 was released, I heard the presenter say that car manufactors were working on integrating Siri-type PA's into their electronic systems and then one would be able to talk to the car as if it were a person;
"Siri, please lower my window by 50%"...
I do believe the presenter used a different example - something about being able to tell Siri your personal problems, but perhaps let's not go there!
However, returning to my main point: it's just a matter of time before text is superceded by video and speech as a method of expression.