Do you really need a keyboard to be productive on a tablet?

Asus Transformer tablet with keyboard:  from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203413304577084283729236046.html

Bill Gates in a recent interview commented on how he believes users are dissatisfied with the iPad, because of the lack of PC like capability, stemming from the lack of a keyboard. Even though several manufacturers make Bluetooth keyboards, none of these has been universally hailed as the solution to using the tablet as a fully fledged PC.

Several different approaches currently exist for multiple different tablets in the hunt for productivity. The Asus Transformer Series has a detachable physical keyboard direct from Asus that adds extra battery life, in addition to USB ports which turn the Transformers into mini-netbook like devices. The iPad has several third party keyboards that allow users to use any Bluetooth compatible keyboard with the device. The Microsoft Surface has the first party soft Touch Cover and more rigid Type Cover which allow the device to snap directly into a keyboard that maintains the tablet like feel while still providing a laptop like keyboard.

iPad compatible keyboard: from http://www.everythingabouttablets.net/android-keyboard-shortcuts-with-apple-style-keyboards/

But do tablets really require keyboards in order to be considered productivity devices? I’m not quite sure. Those who I have spoken to love the keyboards for their tablets and agree that they make the device much more palatable in the productivity department. But is there an alternative? Swiping keyboards such as Swype, or the Android Jellybean keyboard which allow the user to move their finger along from key to key along the keyboard in a swiping motion make typing much easier and faster for many users. Additionally, there have been concept keyboards that use virtual keys to allow users to type without a keyboard attachment.

Microsoft Surface with Touch Cover keyboard: from http://www.zdnet.com/is-the-microsoft-surface-keyboard-a-big-mistake-7000005871/

Or will tablet devices always be regarded as mainly consumption devices rather than serious content creation devices? I’m a firm believer that tablets will take over and integrate with some PC features and become the primary device for almost all but the heaviest of users. How exactly this will be done, whether with hardware, software, or virtual keyboards, or even through voice controls I am not sure, but I am sure there are some brilliant people out there working on solutions to this as we speak. Let me know in the comments if you’ve got an idea for what the future will bring for tablet typing.

For now, here’s a video of a cool software keyboard:

Source: http://www.slashgear.com/bill-gates-ipad-users-frustrated-over-lack-of-keyboard-06280715/?6utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+slashgear+%28SlashGear%29

For those unaware, Google I/O 2013 approaches! Google I/O is Google’s annual developers conference, which may make you roll your eyes if you are not a mobile app or web developer, but its also Google’s biggest show of the year where Googlers show off all of the projects they have been working on all year. This means big surprises and announcements for mobile technology fans.

from http://techcrunch.com/2013/02/22/google-io-registration-date-leaks-be-ready-to-sign-up-on-march-13/

So what can you expect from Google from May 15-17?

Google should be announcing several new products. One of these should be a refreshed Nexus 7 tablet, since the last iteration was introduced at last year’s I/O and other, newer 7 inch tablets are beginning to take the sheen off of Google’s star 7 inch offering.

Another device we might here more about is the rumored Motorola X Phone, which is supposed to be the first device made by both Motorola and Google, since the latter bought the former hardware manufacturer. We don’t know too much about this device, but Motorola is due to a Google infusion and these devices should be interesting to see now that Google has its own hardware manufacturer to better create its vision for mobile devices.

We should also get more information about Google Glass, which should tell us more about how awesome the future is going to be where everyone has a cool heads up display on their face.

One of the biggest announcements we should also be seeing is a new version of Android, with the release of Android 4.3. Again, we don’t know too much about what new features will be in store for the world leading mobile OS, but Google is sure to have some surprises in store.

Google will be broadcasting Google I/O live on Youtube here starting at 9:00 AM PDT on May 15th, so tune in to see what Google has to offer at this year’s Google I/O Developers Conference!

One of my favorite tools, Mint has a number of growth hacks that allow the site to gain the popularity that it has among users. These include financial goal tracking, recommendations for savings, weekly or monthly digest emails, and incentives to refer friends.

Mint acquires users through recommendations from notable technology and news publications for its web and mobile applications which allow people to track their financial situation. Additionally, Mint has a blog which posts all sorts of financial information to help people become more comfortable and knowledgeable about their finances, as well as a method of acquisition to move potential users through to creating an account.

from http://www.mint.com/blog/goals/how-to-use-mints-goals-06302010/

Weekly and monthly digest emails once you create an account help with retention, keeping users coming back to the site based upon the updated goal and account positions. The goal tracking is one of the most important retention features, since it keeps users engaged with the product, keeping them invested in tracking the progress towards their personal financial goals, such as paying off loans or saving for retirement.

All of these features together help to generate new users, retain them, and have them recommend the service to their communities, continuing the chain of growth.

from https://www.mint.com/how-it-works/save/

Recommendations for savings help to generate revenue for Mint, as credit card and other financial organizations can pay to have their products featured, where Mint will then present these as Ways to Save users money in comparison to the current accounts they own. Some of these partners also offer sign-up bonuses if you sign-up for their accounts through a Mint referral link.

Lastly, the referral program allows users to easily recommend Mint to their friends through Facebook, allowing Mint to acquire even more users.

Facebook recently announced its new Facebook Home app for Android. Facebook home is a UI overlay for Android that takes the place of the typical home screen app launcher from which users open apps on their Android phones and tablets. Only available on Android, Facebook Home is looking to re-imagine how users interact with Facebook on their mobile devices.

Traditionally, social networks have been developing typical apps which are isolated from the OS, especially on iOS, where there is more control over how the OS operates. On Android however, developers have more freedom with how their apps interact with the OS, from being standalone apps, to far more pervasive applications that change how the device operates. Facebook home is the first social network to branch out into this second category, as Facebook seeks to increase its presence on mobile devices, in order to increase its slowing growth. Home operates like other launchers, allowing you to open apps, but the major appeal is the homescreen, which is just one large Facebook feed that cycles through updates to your Facebook feed. This also includes notifications from other apps that push notifications to your phone, such as email.

The other major difference is the addition of what Facebook calls Chat Heads, which is an overlay throughout the OS that allows you to continue talking with friends from within any app, either by SMS or Facebook chat. This feature is huge for people who want to quickly get to their conversations and are communicating with friends and contacts constantly via SMS or chat.

Will this new concept be the one to push Facebook’s dominion over mobile? While reception has been mixed thus far, Facebook Home is an innovative leap in the way social networks are advancing on mobile devices, and will have a big impact on Facebook’s control over the mobile landscape in a hard fought arena between Apple, Google, Samsung, and Microsoft. Have you tried Facebook Home? Let me know what your opinion is in the comments.

Download Facebook Home for Android here.