yikes… all tablets are not created equal

So you think one tablet is the same as another? I did get to pick up an HP tablet with WebOS a few months ago at fire-sale prices (mostly out of curiosity, but also to give my son a Flash-based platform for BubbleBox.com games). You know what -- he hated it. He said, "Da, I can do without the Flash games, I'd rather have an iPad." Well, Damon, maybe Santa will come through for you since your father dropped the ball.

Certainly others are finding that the Kindle is no iPad replacement. Can it be that the GUI on other tablets, designed by software people, just isn't up to snuff?

Some complaints:

...few of their many complaints: there is no external volume control. The off switch is easy to hit by accident. Web pages take a long time to load. There is no privacy on the device; a spouse or child who picks it up will instantly know everything you have been doing. The touch screen is frequently hesitant and sometimes downright balky…

So what does this mean? Well, getting the interface right is at least as important as the hardware platform that the operating system runs on. Seems intuitive, but obviously a substantial challenge, nevertheless.

Microsoft Surface? How about a desk that does the same thing?

I have fantasies of the Minority Report style interface, for a totally immersive computing experience. And awesome gaming! This desk, sort of like MS's Surface concept, might be the closest thing. (If I'm liking a Microsoft technology, you gotta know it is cool....)

Think "giant iPad" -- the EXOdesk looks like desktop, which will apparently cost $1,299, includes the ability to drag and drop content around the surface as well as pulling in data such as RSS feeds and latest tweets. Oh joy.