Tablet Computing
In the past two years, advances in tablets have captured the imagination of educators around the
world. Led by the incredible success of the iPad, which at the time of publication had sold more
than 85 million units, other similar devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Kindle Fire, the
Nook, Sony's Tablet S, and the Microsoft Surface have also begun to enter this rapidly growing
market. In the process, the tablet (a form that does not require a mouse or keyboard) has come to
be viewed as a new technology in its own right, one that blends features of laptops, smartphones,
and earlier tablet computers with always-connected Internet, and thousands of apps with which
to personalise the experience. As these new devices have become more used and understood, it
has become even clearer that they are independent and distinct from other mobile devices such
as smartphones, e-readers, or tablet PCs. With significantly larger screens and richer gesture-based
interfaces than their smartphone predecessors — and a growing and ever more competitive
market — they are ideal tools for sharing content, videos, images, and presentations because they
are easy for anyone to use, visually compelling, and highly portable.