Is a USB Port That Important on a Tablet PC?
The success of the iPad in the tablet PC industry has prompted tech companies all over the world to make their own tablet PC devices. Some have succeeded (e.g. Samsung, Amazon, Google) and some have failed (HP, RIM, Dell). You now see a lot of vendors that sell iPad and other brands of tablet PCs giving consumers a lot of options depending on a number of factors. Of course, there’s the budget, the buyer’s preference on the specs of the gadget, and the features it offers. Because of the rise in the popularity of tablet PCs, almost everybody wants to own one. Tablet PCs offer their users convenience and ease of use far superior to desktop PCs and laptops. They are lightweight, fast to boot up and have a long battery life because of their low power consumption. These features are what makes people want to have tablet PCs. However, some people are expecting tablet PCs to be like miniature laptops, complete with the peripherals like the USB port. Having a USB port in a tablet PC is really useful for anyone, from light to heavy tablet PC users. To begin with, a USB port can give the user additional storage options for his tablet PC. This is great if you have a limited internal storage of only about 8 GB. The largest tablet PC internal storage is only 64 GB. For users with many huge files, particularly video files, 64 GB just isn’t enough. USB thumb drives and external hard drives that can be connected through USB is an obvious solution to these storage needs.
Another purpose of having a USB port on your tablet PC is for connecting external peripherals to your gadget. For example, writers would prefer to attach a keyboard with a USB to their tablets rather than a more expensive and unreliable keyboard that could be connected through Bluetooth. Moreover, not all tablet PCs allow external peripherals aside from external storage and speakers, so a lot of users prefer to give up and sell used iPad and switch back to netbooks with USB ports. For the moment, there are a few tablet PCs with USB ports, but they are not as popular as the iPad, which ironically, doesn’t have a USB port. Among the more known ones are the Toshiba Thrive with one full USB port, the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet with a full USB port, and the Acer Iconia Tab A500 with one full USB port. The Asus Transformer has two USB ports, but they are located at the keyboard attachment of the unit, meaning the tablet itself does not have any USB port. USB ports become useful for people who are heavily dependent on huge data sources when using their tablet PCs. For example if you are using your tablet PC for presentations, then having extra storage space for your files is a must. But if your tablet PC is used just for fun or browsing the Internet or playing games, then the extra USB port might not be utilized at all. If you are looking to buy from vendors who sell iPad or other brands, decide on what you really need first before making the big purchase. Hopefully, Apple will think of adding a USB port to its next iPad (or iPad Mini release). Article Source: http://cashforipadsblog.wordpress.com/2012/09/04/is-a-usb-port-that-important-ona-tablet-pc/