Technology consumers ditch laptops for tablets

Kenyans are gradually ditching laptop computers in preference for new mobile devices, mainly tablets.

As with mobile phones where smart phones and other internet- enabled handsets have replaced basic mobile phones, tablets are slowly supplanting laptops as Kenyans seek gadgets that are multifunctional, portable and stylish.

Most of those turning to the gadgets are young professionals and students in institutions of higher education, many which are incorporating information and communication technology in their activities.

In Nairobi, it is now common to see people holding discussions or meetings as they refer to materials stored in tablets. Few years ago, laptops were the devices of choice in such meetings. People would come with the gadgets, which they would use to take minutes or refer to documents stored in them.

However, walking around with a laptop for many Kenyans is now turning to be unstylish and cumbersome because of its size compared to a tablet. At most coffee shops in Nairobi’s central business district it is common to see men and women at a table holding a meeting and in their hands are tablets. The group keeps on looking at the tablets, which they share, as they engage each other animatedly. It is apparent that they discuss a document stored in the tablets. As the meeting went on, one could see them making changes on the document on the tablet.

Becoming a norm

Such scenes are becoming the norm in the City, especially in the evening where most people hold meetings at coffee shops as they sip the beverage.

“Laptops are losing to tablets. It is no longer fashionable to walk around with a laptop because it is heavy,” Nairobi resident Kevin Mukoka told Xinhua on Friday. Mukoka, who recently acquired a tablet, said he bought the gadget because of the nature of his work. “I work as a project assistant at a nongovernmental organization. My work mainly involves writing proposals, which I present at various meetings. I find it appropriate to do it on a tablet than a laptop because the former is convenient and portable, “ he said.

When he goes to meetings, he recounted that he no longer needs to scout for power sockets so that he can connect the device as it used to happen with a laptop.

“One of the reasons I switched to a tablet is that one day I went for a meeting and the room had no power socket. I was in a fix because my laptop did not have power. But with a tablet, you do not need to worry about that because it stays with power for long,” he noted.

A tablet, he added, is also multifunctional because it has a camera, which one can use to take photos. Janet Achiko, a post-graduate student in Nairobi, said she acquired a tablet because its size favours women.

“As a lady, I find the size of a tablet friendly to women. It is convenient since it fits in my handbag. Therefore, I do not need to walk around with an extra bag as I used to do with a laptop,” she said.

The 29-year-old noted that the small size of a tablet also makes it more secure.

“Criminals in Nairobi mostly target laptops because they are conspicuous. When you walk around with one, people know. But not with a tablet,” said the accountant who mainly uses the device for her college work. Besides portability and style, falling prices of the gadgets have made them affordable for many Kenyans.

—Xinhua