Then there's the hardware problem: Laptop deployment for such purposes is difficult to justify from a cost perspective, especially in industries where physical device security is an issue, such as in retail or in hospitality. PDAs also are unlikely to fill the bill because of their small displays and because general readability and data input are awkward for those unfamiliar with the devices. Application deployment also can be problematic for PDAs as they require a specialized application-development environment. Although a Web-based application could certainly be developed that would solve the greater issues of usability and readability, specialized development is still required.

Enter the Web pad. Some may recall early versions of what the industry considered Web pads: consumer-grade e-mail and browsing stations offering very little in the way of network connectivity and endowed with small, unexciting displays. These devices did not fare well in the consumer market, so the industry has turned to the enterprise, with its plethora of mobile employees, hoping to find a niche. Hospitality pads are an interesting notion, but more often than not these devices are being seen in the health-care field. Other areas where deployment makes sense are sales-force automation, physical security (monitoring while on the move) and mobile utility field applications, though for field deployments rugged units would be required. None of these devices is flimsy or delicate, but dropping them (no, not part of our testing) could be costly.

To move into the enterprise, however, Web pads needed to evolve into a form factor more usable by the mobile enterprise employee (that is, they needed to be portable). Enhanced application and network support also are key. Terms used today to describe this type of device include the tablet PC and super PDA. Which definition is applicable to a specific device depends on the type of operating system and application support available on the platform. The input methods for Web pads -- virtual keyboards -- are familiar and easy to use. Most people can enter data faster on a Web pad than on a PDA, though the speed is still far less than can be achieved on a real keyboard -- unless, of course, you're a single-finger typist.

Web Pad Features (chart) Click here to enlarge

The tablet PC is a compromise between a full-fledged notebook (or subnotebook) and a Web pad. Tablets have many of the features found in notebook computers, including a full operating system, a hard drive and PCMCIA capabilities, but supposedly without all the bulk. As with their Web pad cousins, tablets are operated primarily from a touch-sensitive screen. The larger format display frees up more screen space for work, and the user generally has the option to write with a stylus or to use the virtual on-screen keyboard.

The super PDA, on the other hand, uses an embedded OS and provides less peripheral and direct application support than its tablet PC sibling. The super PDA is, as its name implies, a souped-up PDA with a larger display, better WAN/LAN connectivity options and the ability to connect peripherals and use external storage, such as USB or CompactFlash.

Do You Believe in Reincarnation?

It's obvious that the old notion of what a Web pad is and what it contains is no longer commercially valid. Like many technology terms, Web pad has morphed and found new life as simply a descriptive tag for a class of portable device that is neither notebook nor PDA.