Motorola and Asus both assumed that consumers would want to buy a single product consisting of all of the smaller and larger components. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung realized that not everyone needs to convert their tablet computers into mobile workstations.
Therefore, contrary to Heins’ argument, I believe that tablets will continue to thrive as the new standard of computing, since certain users can stick with the bare-bones tablet, while others can add on other peripherals to create a more full-bodied workstation.
BlackBerry
This brings us full circle back to Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY). BlackBerry’s PlayBook, which the company once thought could become the ultimate enterprise tablet, failed miserably, shipping 2.4 million units over the past eight quarters, a period when Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) shipped 111.8 million iPads. As a result, BlackBerry posted a $485 million charge in 2011 from its unsold inventory of PlayBooks.
Heins therefore proclaimed, “Tablets themselves are not a good business model.”
Back in January, Heins stated that he only intends to create a follow-up to the PlayBook if he believes that it can be profitable, but his recent comments strongly suggest that a new tablet isn’t in the works. Heins stated, “In five years I don’t think there’ll be a reason to have a tablet any more. Maybe a big screen in your workspace, but not a tablet as such.”
I believe that Heins is hinting at a docking system for Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)’s smartphones, but that would revisit the primary problem that Motorola and Asus faced – pricing. In addition, smaller, cheaper alternatives that are compatible with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung devices could create sleeker, tablet-centered workstations.
A Foolish final thought
In the end, we need to realize that half of the omni-computer experience has already arrived.
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has already advanced cloud-based technologies on every software level, including synchronized email, web browsers, and office documents. In other words, Google allows users to access their cloud-based apps and documents from multiple devices across multiple platforms. Since we now have the ability to connect with all of our stored content from any Internet-enabled hardware device, do we still need to fret over which hardware product we’re using to access it?
I believe that companies such as Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) are looking in the wrong direction. The quest for the elusive omni-computer won’t end with an expensive hardware docking station, or a hybrid product that opens up like a matryoshka doll. It will likely end when a single company takes over the cloud (most likely Google) and creates an invisible, permanent computer in the sky.
The article The Fruitless Quest for the Elusive Omni-Computer originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Leo Sun.
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