Page 38 - EngineerIT January 2022

INDUSTRY, TECHNOLOGY, PRODUCTS AND INNOVATION

THE REAL REASONS WHY MOST FIELD-BASED WORKERS

DON’T NEED OR WANT LAPTOPS

By Patrick Seidensticker, Senior Director of Product Management, Tablets, Zebra Technologies Staying Connected to Today’s Mobile
Workforce Trends
f you’ve heard a lot of different opinions about what makes a tablet or laptop a 2-in- The 2-in-1 rugged tablet has become the
1 computing device, know you’re not alone. In my 20+ years in the mobile computing more logical form-factor for front-line
Iindustry, I’ve heard every point of view there is. Some say it’s a laptop with a foldaway workers as it gives them a laptop-like device
keyboard. Others argue it’s a tablet with a detachable keyboard. A few people have even – and many capabilities laptops can’t offer.
claimed 2-in-1s shouldn’t be considered laptops or tablets – that they’re in a category of For example, the modularity of the 2-in-
their own. (Convertibles, perhaps?) 1 rugged tablet allows the screen to be
It’s hard to say who’s right or wrong. But I will say this: 2-in-1s aren’t what they were removed from the keyboard, giving the user
even five years ago – at least not in the enterprise mobile computing space. more flexibility and functionality. They can
do their jobs with the lighter weight and
Detaching from the past more mobile tablet form-factor and still have
There are millions of people around the world who don’t work in a traditional office setting the keyboard for instances when extensive
and probably never will. Yet, they all need a full office setup to do their jobs. I’m not data entry is required. It is also more likely
talking about those who shifted into a remote work status due to the pandemic, either. to have multiple USB ports – including
I’m talking about engineers, first responders and emergency personnel, investigators, specialised HDMI-in, True Serial and RJ-45
insurance adjustors, utility technicians, residential and commercial service providers, military input/output (I/O) – as well as built-in
personnel, and others out in the field every day helping to build, protect, maintain, serve barcode scanners, a Common Access Card
and restore our communities. (CAC) reader and antenna pass-throughs.
They need the same access to operational information as any other worker in their In addition, newer generation
respective organisations – perhaps even more urgently. Therefore, they need a way to rugged 2-in-1 tablets offer push-to-talk
stay digitally connected to critical infrastructure systems and each other, no matter how communication and collaboration tools,
physically distanced they are from the office or their colleagues. Situational awareness is a super-bright screens and universal docks
mainstay of their jobs. That’s why public safety and utility crews were among the first to test that offer even more I/O ports. These
and use rugged tablets over 20 years ago. They needed a computing solution that mimicked features enable front-line workers to
the desktop experience but was truly mobile. stay productive everywhere they go and
Though rugged laptops became wildly popular among mobile workers who spent a lot of transition from one place or task to the
time driving from one site to the next, most were too bulky and heavy to ever remove from next, without having to transfer data from
the vehicle dock. To be honest, it’s still that way today despite the advancements made to one device to another.
slim down devices.
The Takeaway
If it’s time to replace your mobile workers’
laptops – or you’re just tired of hearing
them say, “I’ll send that report in when I
get back to the office” – then start looking
at your rugged 2-in-1 tablet options. Don’t
waste any more time or money buying
or managing laptops that aren’t really
keeping them productive and connected.
Plus, some newer rugged 2-in-1 tablets
have friction hinge keyboards that give
workers a laptop-like experience. So, people
may not even notice they don’t have a real
laptop until they need a tablet. Then they’ll
notice a huge difference. They’ll finally be
able to get work done from their “office,”
wherever that may be today.

You can learn more about rugged 2-in-1
tablets here.

EngineerIT | January 2022 | 36