The benefits and costs of distributing books electronically is not tied to the use of tablets. You can use a PC to read a PDF or other digital media just as well as on a tablet, and do much more besides, given the cost differential - once you take into account the peripherals needed to make the tablet as useful as a more traditional laptop or PC. The loss of a keyboard, IMHO, outweighs all of the supposed advantages.
Kurt On Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 18:00, Jonathan Link <[email protected]> wrote: > You're still mostly wooshing here. > > Never did I say I bought into these concepts, but this is how it often > appears to the uninitiated into the arcane art of IT. I, of course, know > that mainframes didn't die, but most of the work of the "data processing" > department was subsumed in many organizations by business units closer to > the data, and this was accelerated by the adoption of the PC and PC > networks. > And have you measured that against the cost of textbooks? I know a lot of > administrators are crunching these numbers right now... > > On Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 7:52 PM, Kurt Buff <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> On Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 13:21, Jonathan Link <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> > To put it another way, the data processing group got put out to pasture >> > of >> > days gone by was blindsided by the PC revolution. >> >> Not really - they just morphed into the IT staff of today - server >> administrators. And, mainframes haven't disappeared - again, it's the >> minis that got squeezed. IBM still makes a buncha money on mainframes. >> >> > The current generation >> > of tablets are probably the most compelling piece of technology since >> > then. >> >> Perhaps. I've yet to be convinced. >> >> > Teachers and administrators are very interested in tablets because they >> > believe they offer so much more capability for viewing and distributing >> > content! >> >> The SJRDF is strong, 'tis true. I think the only advantage they show >> is weight, and a multi-touch screen. For viewing content, a larger >> screen gives better resolution, and for real distribution you still >> need the servers on the back end. The capabilities are still lacking, >> and the price is still too high. >> >> Kurt >> >> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ >> ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ >> >> --- >> To manage subscriptions click here: >> http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ >> or send an email to [email protected] >> with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin >> > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected] with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin
