Whether at the customer's, in the workshop, or on the construction site – with the tablet, the tradesperson always has all relevant data and information at their fingertips. (Photo: © dogachov/123RF.com)
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10 May 2021
Crafts 4.0: Tablets are becoming increasingly powerful and are positioning themselves as serious competitors to notebooks. But what do current top-of-the-line devices do? Can you save money on new purchases? And what should you look out for?
Tablets are a helpful digital tool in many trades – both on the go and in the office. Especially when a smartphone display is too small for certain tasks, these slim all-rounders really shine. On construction sites, for example, they save time and money on documentation , measurements , and mobile document management . Presentations and product videos are much more impressive when shown on tablets to clients.
Working with industry-specific software is also significantly more convenient with tablet PCs. These devices are very lightweight , highly portable , and easy to use thanks to their touchscreens. With a SIM card inserted or via Wi-Fi , internet access is available almost everywhere . Some models, such as the top-of-the-line devices from Apple and Samsung, even support the latest 5G mobile standard for the fastest mobile data transfers.
When buying a new tablet, tradespeople should pay attention to a few key technical specifications to ensure that mobile work doesn't become a test of patience. For smooth operation, devices with processors equipped with at least six (Apple) or eight cores (octa-core) are recommended.
The larger the RAM , the smoother the apps will run – even when multiple programs are open simultaneously. Three gigabytes is the absolute minimum for professional use. Text in small font sizes is easily readable with a display resolution of at least 1.200 x 1.920 pixels.
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The built-in storage should be at least 64 GB – the more, the better. High-end devices, such as the new Apple iPad Pro (5th generation), even offer up to 2.000 GB. To allow for flexible storage expansion when needed , an additional memory card slot is necessary, for example, for microSD cards . Anyone who wants to use the tablet's camera functions, for example, for documentation, should buy a device with at least eight megapixels. Higher resolutions usually result in better images.
When choosing a screen size, the intended use should be the primary consideration: Tablets with screen diagonals of just under 13 inches (33 cm) also perform well as notebook replacements in the office – especially when used with an external keyboard. Ten-inch devices (25 cm) offer a good compromise between size and comfort. Tablets with smaller displays are now rare, but they still exist – for example, the iPad mini. If handwritten notes or drawings are also desired, the tablet must offer pen/pencil support . Battery life is an important factor for mobile use . Generally, the larger the display, the more frequently the device will need to be recharged.
When buying a tablet, tradespeople today have significantly fewer options than just a few years ago. Many manufacturers, such as Asus, Google, and Sony, have discontinued development. Today, the brands Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Amazon, and Lenovo dominate, holding a combined market share of around 75 percent. Whether to choose an Apple device with the iPadOS operating system or an Android tablet is a matter of price and personal preference . Tradespeople should check which operating system offers industry-specific apps and which integrates best with their existing IT infrastructure.
Apple, with its new iPad Pro (fifth generation), and Samsung, with its Galaxy Tab S7+ , currently define the absolute top class . However, for everyday work in the trades, significantly less power and functionality are usually sufficient. Those who opt for previous models or more affordable brand-name devices that have come onto the market in recent months can typically save several hundred euros – without sacrificing too much convenience. It's worth noting that Huawei tablets, while shipped with the Android operating system, do not include Google Mobile Services such as YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, or the Play Store.
When the air has a high dust concentration or drizzle is a possibility on construction sites, conventional tablets quickly reach their limits. In such conditions, malfunctions or complete device failure are only a matter of time. Nevertheless, tradespeople don't have to forgo digital support at work: So-called "outdoor" or "ruggedized" devices, specifically designed for harsh environments, are ideal for outdoor use and workshop environments.
These tablets are exceptionally robust: dust, water, shocks, and drops from heights of over a meter cannot harm them . Particularly durable devices are tested according to the military standard "MIL-STD-810G". However, this level of security and convenience comes at a price: depending on size, protection class, and brand, tradespeople should expect to pay between €500 and €3.000.
Fifth-generation mobile technology is expected to deliver transmission rates of up to 10 gigabits per second in the future. Currently, however, only speeds of 2 Gbps or less are realistic.
Abbreviation for "Random Access Memory." RAM refers to the main memory or working memory of a system that a processor can access directly.
RAM (Random Access Memory) is used to temporarily store data that is currently being worked on. The more RAM, the faster the system. The size is measured in gigabytes (GB).
The maximum number of horizontal and vertical pixels that can be displayed defines the resolution of a display. Full HD has a resolution of 1.080 x 1.920 pixels.
Storage space is measured in gigabytes. One GB is 1.024 megabytes, or approximately one billion bytes.
Abbreviation for "Long Term Evolution." Fourth-generation mobile technology (4G) theoretically enables download speeds of up to 1 Gbps. In practice, this is usually significantly less.
The heart of a tablet. Speed is measured in gigahertz (GHz). Multi-core processors contain several fully functional processor cores in a single package for increased performance.
The screen diagonal of a tablet is measured in inches. One inch is equivalent to 2,54 cm.
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