Although Apple was highly criticized for the naming of the iPad, the device has become wildly popular. But even as their market penetration and wallets continue to deepen, several competitive tablet PCs offering more open operating systems and increased flexibility have emerged that are giving Apple a run for its money.

Smart phones and rugged devices are still highly utilized by 360Facility users, but we have seen a large increase in requests and recommendations for tablets. Although many smart phones and tablets run on the same operating system and browser, our customers are finding that the increased screen real estate of tablets make them more usable for inspections, creating requests, or viewing attachments. In reality, companies often need to employ a variety of devices to support the different environments and business needs of their users.

360Facility remains focused on software development and ensuring that all browsers render our software correctly. However, we are often asked what devices we would recommend. Our advice is this: before taking the plunge for a new device, consider the following key questions:

1. Who will be utilizing the device and in what environments?
Different types of devices might be more appropriate for maintenance personnel, inspectors, and engineers than for management and professionals. Their environment and responsibilities could play a role into how rugged and durable the device needs to be as well as the features required. For example, if engineers need to take pictures in dark areas, they’ll need a device with a built-in flash.

2. How will the mobile device be utilized in the field?
Consider which type of device would be most appropriate for:
- Request Creation (internal or occupant passed)
- Documentation Review (PDF or Word files)
- Emergency Management
- Audits
- Asset Management
- Taking pictures of conditions/assets
- Navigation and GPS
- Use with bar code/RDF readers
- Compliance Management
- Usage/Performance Monitoring
- Worldwide coverage

3. Have you used the device?
I don’t buy shoes without trying them on; you should do the same with a tablet. Evaluate how it feels in your hands. Is it the right size and weight? Is it durable enough for your users? Run it through your anticipated daily activities. Is the user interface intuitive? Can you easily access and update information? Feature/Function comparisons (see below) are nice, but they cannot answer these fundamental questions.

4. Will the device be used for non-360Facility tasks?
While 360Facility is 100% web-based, if the device must meet other internal needs, ensure that your organization will support the device’s operating system (for example, Android, Blackberry OS, iOS, webOS, or Windows Mobile). Corporate connectivity for email may also be a requirement, so verify that the device will work with your corporate connection (for example, Blackberry Enterprise Server or Exchange). And, if your organization is going to manage the devices and products on them, has your organization considered buying mobile management software (for example, Soti, AirWatch, or BoxTone).

Sample Tablet Feature/Function Comparison

The below Grid was created using some internal tests on some of the more common tablets available at large retail shops as well as researching the web. This is only a sample but other tablets not listed below will likely work with 360Facility. References to other comparison charts are listed below that include additional details (e.g. Price) but below are features that are typically more important for most of our customers. Note, some devices can only support Wi-Fi Only and do not offer cellular connectivity and those have been excluded from the below list. Please be sure to check for the latest specifications prior to purchasing as updates are constantly being made to these devices.

Click image to enlarge

New operating systems and browsers are frequently released and 360Facility evaluates the most widely used versions as well as those that are gaining popularity (e.g. version 4.x of Apples OS for mobile and soon to be version 5.x). New devices are coming to market more frequently and generally run on the major operating systems and mobile browsers. 360Facility has been tested to run on different versions of the Android Operating System that includes Éclair (2.0 and 2.1), and Froyo (2.2) and Ginberbread (3.3). The Android stock browser performs best related to both average load time for live and saved sites and is recommended for this operating system. Testing has been completed on other downloaded browsers (e.g. Dolphin) however the stock browser is currently supported for the above operating systems for mobile.

Other Reviews

BGR - HTC Flyer Review »

2011 Tablet Comparison Chart by groovyPost.com »