With Notepads, Laptops and Tablets all getting lighter, faster and reputable platforms being installed onto them such as Windows, Android and iOS4, we’ve seen many releases over the past few months.  The most popular tablet by far has been the Apple iPad.

The concept of the iPad was incorporating a capacitive touch screen (runs on a heat source, no stylus) and a larger version of an iPod Touch. The iPad has proved extremely popular for something so simple and so similar to the aforementioned iPod Touch, however it has ended up selling two million units within two months.

Apple are currently the market leader for “Tablets”, however many other vendors want a share of that market, meaning we have seen a lot of leaks online for tablets such as the HP Slate.  Due to the recent acquisition of Palm by HP, the Slate will probably not end up with Windows 7, but more likely webOS – the operating system currently used in Palm phones.

We have also seen products from Lenovo and Samsung where they have crammed Android onto their tablet products.  However, with virtually every manufacture cramming Android into their product, even the knock off ones from China, this may not provide them with a competitive edge or a compelling reason to buy.

In the past quarter we have seen the release of the Dell Streak which was produced as a smartphone but with browsing compatibility and no calling function. The Dell Streak can only be compared to the iPad as it’s marketed with a Data Plan.

Dell’s attempt at competing with the iPhone is likely to be put on hold until a more competitive operating system is released – Windows Mobile 7.

A lot of us are still waiting for a proper tablet to be introduced to the SME market.  The manufacturer who currently has the largest foothold in the SME gadget marketplace e.g. smartphones is RIM with its Blackberry product range. As Blackberry currently produce smartphones sold to both SME and Consumer, we know that they have the right credentials to work in both markets.

The online rumours surrounding Blackberry and the probability of them producing a Tablet has steadily been increasing. Recently, thanks to Mobile Crunch, they have discovered that Blackberry have registered a domain ‘www.blackpad.com’ for themselves. This could possibly suggest that RIM/ Blackberry have something up their sleeves – all that we know is that Blackberry is possibly developing something which will go into direct competition with Apple.

The Balckberry tablet is expected to have the following iPad killing features:

• Two cameras (one front facing)
• A faster processor
• New BlackberryOS6
• Bluetooth

and a few other’s that will definitely set it apart from the competition.

Whilst many features are still quite vague, we do know that Blackberry are producing it with a 9.7inch screen, it will make it work very close with their other Blackberry products and that it will be unveiled in November ready for Christmas.

Stay tuned for more information.

You can do a lot of cool things with hosted Microsoft Exchange. Here are a few:

•        Set up accounts for meeting rooms. Each one will have its own calendar and you can see when they’re free or busy. To book the room, just ‘invite’ it to the meeting like any other participant. No more double booking.

•        Using Outlook to access the Exchange Server? It will cache a copy of your diary, email archives and so on locally, so you have a copy available even if you are not online. This is really handy if you are going to a meeting by car and you need to check the details and address.

•        Exchange Server works well with many Smartphones, including the iPhone but it is also compatible with Blackberry devices. Using hosted Exchange Server means that you don’t have to buy a dedicated Blackberry server as well, although additional costs are involved.

 Email anywhere

•        With Hosted Exchange Server your local coffee shop or internet café can be an emergency backup office. If your office internet connection fails or you have a fire or burglary, you can set up anywhere that has an internet connection (maybe using a Wi-Fi hotspot) and still have access to your email and business information.

•        If you employ temporary staff or have rapid staff turnover, adding a new user to the system takes minutes and is done by our dedicated support team. As soon as they leave, you can delete the account. You only pay for the users you have in any given month. If you need to take on 40 temps for a big project, they can all have email addresses for as long as they need.

 Change plans on the hop

•        Re-book a delayed flight at the airport using your SmartPhone to email your travel agent or personal assistant.

•        Pick up your email at 30,000 feet using wireless networking and satellite internet connections on certain airlines. Or at zero feet if you’re travelling on some trains which also have wireless internet connections.

•        Use the ‘Plan a meeting’ wizard in Outlook 2003/2007 to find a time when all the invitees are free to attend. No need to ring them all up to check their diaries.

•        Many people still keep a desk diary and carry a portable one with them, relying on their secretary to co-ordinate the two and deal with any double bookings. With a compatible Smartphone, you can update your diary as soon as you make a new appointment and your secretary can see the changes as soon as you make them.