HOW TABLETS WORKS

In 2010, Steve Job changed the Tablet Pc is industry with the announcement of iPad tablet device. His announcement truly launched a new era in personal computing industry.  Although the idea of the tablet computer is being existence since 1968, when a computer scientist named Alan Kay proposed that with advances in flat-panel display over the cathode-rays technology, user interfaces, miniaturization of computer components and some experimental work in WiFi technology, you could develop an all-in-one computing device. He further suggested that the idea would be perfect as educational tool for school children. He later published a paper about the device in 1973 called Dynabook. The sketch work of Dynabook show a device very similar to the tablet computer we have today, with a couple of exceptions.

The Dynabook had booth a screen and a keyboard all on the same plane. He also predicted that with the right touch-screen technology, the physical keyboard could be replaced with virtual keyboard, displayed and configured on the screen itself. Alan Kay was truly ahead of his time, and it would take nearly four decades before a tablet similar to the one he imagined took the market by storm. Though there were several tablets that appear in the market between the time since the Dynabook was conceptualized and Apple’s famous iPad.

The entry of Apple into the tablet computer world revolutionized the tablet industry into a viable consumer product and prompted other companies like Google, Microsoft, HP, Samsung etc. to quickly respond with their brands of tablet to take a fair share of the rapidly growing industry.

What’s Stuff about Tablets?

If you have the nerve to crack open a tablet computer you will find out that the components are much similar to that of a regular computer. The microprocessor is smaller than the normal computer and thus generates less heat and is compact enough to occupy less space. Besides the Microprocessor, other components of the found on a typical tablet include;

A rechargeable batteryAccelerometersGyroscopesGraphics processorsFlash-based internal  memoryInbuilt SpeakersTouch-screen controller chipCamera sensors, chips and lensesWIFI or Cellular Chips and AntennasTech Bluetooth

With some brands coming with GPS, NFC (Near Field communication), USB dock etc.

The Accelerometers and gyroscopes help the tablet determine its orientation so that it displays graphics in either portrait or landscape mode. The graphics processor or GPU takes the load off of the CPU when it comes to generating graphics. The WiFi or cellular components let you connect your tablet to a computer network. The tablet Bluetooth receiver or the NFC, allows it to interface with other Bluetooth and NFC devices.

Understanding the Tablet Screens

There are two basic methods of creating touch screens for tablet devices: resistive screens and capacitive screens. Manufacturers have to choose between the two — they don’t work together.

Resistive systems detect a touch on a screen through pressure. Tablets that require a stylus often use resistive screens. But how does it work?

Resistive systems have a layer of resistive material and another layer of conductive material. Spacers hold the two layers apart. When the tablet is on, an electric current runs through both layers. If you put pressure on the screen, it causes the two layers to come into contact with one another. This changes the electrical field for those two layers.

Imagine you own such a tablet and you’ve decided you want to activate a game. You use your stylus to tap the game icon on your tablet’s screen. The pressure from your touch causes the two layers in the resistive system to touch, changing the electric field. A microchip inside the tablet interprets this change in the field and translates it into coordinates on the screen. The tablet’s CPU takes these coordinates and maps them against its operating system. The CPU determines that you have activated the app and launches it for you.

Resistive screens can be susceptible to damage. If you use too much pressure, you may cause the resistive and conductive layers to be in constant contact. This will cause the tablet to misinterpret commands. Resistive screens also tend to have poorer resolution than capacitive screens.

A capacitive system also detects changes in electrical fields but doesn’t rely on pressure. A capacitive system includes a layer of material that stores an electrical charge. When you touch a conductive material to this screen, some of that electrical charge transfers over to whatever is touching it. But the material must be conductive or the device won’t register a touch. In other words, you can use anything to touch a resistive screen to register a charge but only conductive material will work on a capacitive system.

Capacitive systems tend to be more robust than resistive systems since you don’t have to press down as hard to register a touch. They also tend to have a higher resolution than resistive systems