A Tablet Computer Product Identification

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Tablet Computer

Functions of the Product

The tablet should enable the user to browse through his/her email when he is on the go

It should enable the user to connect to the internet through wi-fi or 3g

It should enable the user to alter or create documents using work, excel power point etc

The tablet should enable the user to perform all recreational activities such as listening to music, playing games and stream videos.

Ability to update to the latest software

Special Features of the Product

Compatible with different operating systems

Capacitive touch screen

Retina Display

Gorilla Glass (Scratch Resistant Glass)

Equipped With Ambient Light Sensor

Internal 1GB RAM

USB and Micro SD Ports

Stereo speakers with 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack (standard)

Front Camera 2MP HD with microphone

Rear Camera 8 MP with auto-focus, LED Flash and Face Recognition

Video Capability up to 1080p

Micro HDMI port

Wi-fi and 3G Equipped

Up to 10 Hours Battery Time

Ability to sync through Wi-Fi with other devices such as Laptops

Multiple user account

Download Books

Key Performance Targets

Does not over heat

The tablet is capable of doing multitasking operations

Holds its battery time

Easy connection between tablet and home laptop should be made

Recharge time is low

Indicates when battery needs to be recharged

Ability to sync through Wi-Fi

Software is user friendly

Environmental Conditions

The tablet should operate between 50C to 400C when operating

The tablet should withstand temperature between -300C to 600C when not operating

Relative Humidity 20% to 85% when operating

Relative Humidity 10% to 90% when not operating

Tablet needs to work at different altitude up to 3.048km when operating and 12km when not operating

The tablet should be able to withstand a thermal gradient of 100C per hour in operating condition and up to 200C in non operating conditions

User Training Required

No training should be required when coming to use this tablet computer

Physical Description

Aluminium Alloy Surface

Smooth or Mirror finish

Colour – Medium Silver

Dimension (W*D*H) – 254mm x 175.26mmx 7mm

Weight approximately 1kg

Processor Speed 1.7GHz

CPU: Inter Core i5-3317U (3 series)

Integrated Graphics

Resolution 2,048 x 1,536 Pixels

Internal Storage up to 64GB and external storage capability

Up to 10 Hours Battery time

USB charging dock

Accelerometer

Physical Buttons should include

Home Button

Volume Button

Screen Lock

Power Button

Manufacturing Specifications

All parts should be made or bought in European Countries, whilst the tablet itself should be assembled in China to save on cost, in which a line layout is used.

Cost to manufacture should be about €200 covering all expenses that is transport and shipping

Life Cycle Targets

Tablet should be able to withstand 5 years daily usage

End of life strategy: tablet is made to be recyclable

Each component of the tablet should have equal life

Financial Requirements

Tablet should be completed in a year to allow time for penetration for the market

Tablet should sell for €550

Product will be in the market for 2 years

Product warranty should cover 6 months

Hardware and software should be covered by warranty

Low cost of manufacture

Maintenance

Maintenance should be kept to the bare minimum

Software update are to be issues monthly

Market Identification & Strategy

Completion a number of brands available on the market, such as Kindle, Ipad, Galaxy Note and other Android Tablet

Market size: 100 million of tablet users by the year 2015

Free charger and headphones given with each tablet bought

Anticipated market demand

1% Share by Year 1

4% Share by Year 2

Social, Political and Legal

Testing should be done on all units

Tablet should adhere to the following standards:

UL 2756 safety standard which includes the technical and manufacturing. Mainly specifying on the manufacture of the battery, thermoplastic parts, power supply, and connectors are also included.

IEC 60950-1 provided relevant methods on safety. This standard reduces the risk that can be caused by electric shocks, fire and radiation through various tests

IEEE 1680.1 environmentally friendly material

ISO/IEC TR 24705 which deals with the colour reproduction of display devices

IEC 61604-4 Ed. 1.0 which deals with audio quality control

IEC/TS 62393 Ed0 1.0 provides standard test methods to determine the battery run time of the tablet

DIN EN 62623:2010 provides the test methods on energy consumption

IEC 60268-4 ED 4.0 test methods to check the build in microphones

ASTM F2617 – 08e1 to specify that the tablet has passed the existing regulations on hazardous substances.

Legal Properties such as patents should be owned

Pass 2

In today’s era, technology is a means of social networking. By the invention of smart phones and tablets the ability to keep in contact with people has become portable and updates in real time are more frequent. The aim of the above product design specification is to design a computer tablet that will help social networking become easier, safer, faster, cheaper, clearer, lighter and more reliable.

The section above is a product design specification for a computer tablet. In the following section one will find justification why the above choices were chosen in the PDS. In order to have a proper PDS the person under taking this process must have the all the information required, this can lead to intensive research about the competitors product, marketing shares and the customer group the product is intended. Apart from this, the designer needs to be able to understand the key function of the product at hand in this case the tablet computer. As mentioned above technology is getting more advanced by time, the design engineer must make sure that the tablet computer must perform the basic activities (such as reading emails, internet connection, alternating documents and perform recreational activities) that a home computer or a laptop performs.

The special features of the tablet that were listed in the PDS are meant to cater for the needs of the customer; these features need also to comply with the standards related to the chosen topic. As mentioned the most important feature of the tablet is to be compatible with different operating system such as Windows and Linux Devices. This feature can make the computer tablet a good competitor with other tablets, to which the Apple IPad requires special programs such as I-Tunes in order to install applications on it.

Another feature added to this computer table, is that of it having a capacitive touch screen rather than a resistive touch screen. A capacitive touch screen does not need as much as force needed as a resistive touch screen. Another important factor of employing a capacitive touch screen to this particular product, is that the latter over an advantage of eliminating the stylus. Eliminating the stylus will give the user much more freedom in operating this particular tablet. Charging the table should be done with ease. The charging system of the table is a normal USB port, this is chosen, because if by any bad luck the charger is lost or stolen it will quite easier to buy a new one. Apart from this for best quality assurance the charger and battery specification should abide by UL256.

Display, in these types of products is a major issue. This type of displays improves visuals of the tablet itself. A retina display is intended for this type of tablet computer. The retina display must abide with ISO/IEC TR 24705 which deals with test to attain the best tablet colour quality. This type of technological device will be intended for people who are always on the go, and find having a laptop uncomfortable, so installing scratch resistance glass i.e. Gorilla Glass is considered as important feature. This is because the product will be prone to scratches.

With reference to its competitors, namely the Apple IPad, Kindle and Galaxy Node and other Android base tablet, the product is to have at least 10 hours of battery life, with the least amount of power consumption as possible. The latter is done by testing according to the following standards: (i) IEC/TS 62393 Ed0 1.0 provides standard test methods to determine the battery run time of the tablet. (ii) DIN EN 62623:2010 provides the test methods on energy consumption; these tests will enable the manufacturer of the tablet to ensure maximum battery life, with minimum recharging and power consumption. The ambient light sensor can be considered another factor to contribute to saving battery once. Once properly calibrated, this sensor will adjust the brightness setting by itself, therefore is set always for the optimum setting.

Sometimes transferring data cannot be done from the internet. This is why the tablet is to be equipped with a USB port and a MicroSd port. Having the following hardware will enable the tablet to having a clear advantage over the Apple Product since it is equipped with neither. Another important feature of such tablet will be its ability to synchronize with other house hold devices such as laptop and personal computer through Wi-Fi, this will therefore less confusion of wiring. The fact that this product will enable multiple user accounts will provide a clear advantage on both the Android tablet and Apple tablets. This function will enable the table to be used by different users, so every user can set the tablet according to his/her preferences. Apart from this privacy can be kept amongst all the users of the tablet.

As stated previously the table is intended mainly for businessmen and teenagers. Both of these classes of people at some will encounter the need to give a presentation. With the help of an HDMI port these can be conveyed from the tablet itself. As mentioned social networking is a means of communication between teenagers in this era, so with the aid of the camera that are equipped in the tablets teenagers will find it easier to communicate each other. Apart from this having a front 2 MP camera with a built in microphone will enable to users to a clear conversion.

Referring to the physical description the tablets body is to be manufactured from an aluminium alloy surface. Although plastic can be a better choice since is lighter, aluminium is chosen mainly because it is more robust than plastic. Plastic since it is a better insulation can transfer heat from the electronic parts faster than aluminium but it takes more time to cool down. Aluminium although slower cools down much faster than plastic therefore will dissipate heat much faster than plastic, keeping the electrical parts of the device cooler. Apart from this the body is given a smooth finish this will ensure a more appealing design, a design that will make people want to buy the product more.

Referring to the environmental conditions the tablets should adhere to those provided in the PDS to cope with other competitors in the markets. These are not going to be thoroughly discussed in this session since the environment in my opinion is not a key factor for this type of product. Meaning that when coming to buy this type of equipment very few people take into consideration what type of environmental condition the tablet is going to work it, but rather they see the specifications and hardware and software capabilities of the item itself.

Customers might want to use the tablet for gaming. This is why the processor speed is given to be 1.7 GHz and having a core i5 CPU latest generation. Apart from this with the aid of an accelerometer gaming will be more effective, since this micro-machined device will provide more game input. Storage is another factor. Of course having an internal storage will be much faster in accessing data than external storage, but having the capability of an external storage device will enable the users to have more space. In reference of storage, having an external storage slot gives an advantage on Apple Products. For slick design and ergonomics the tablet is to be given only 4 physical buttons everything else will be activated via the touch of their hands.

With reference to other competitors the tablet needs to be able to work for 5 years of daily usage. Apart from this the tablet should be manufactured according to the following standard IEEE 1680.1, which includes tests to ensure that environmentally friendly material was used and it also must comply with ASTM F2617 – 08e1 that specifies that the tablet has passed the existing regulation on hazardous substances. To ensure the best quality, the components of the table must have an equal life. Apart from this for best quality maintenance should be kept to a bare minimum.

Regarding the marketing strategy as mentioned in the PDS the electronic parts and the outer body of the tablet should be done in Europe, whilst the assembly and testing the table should be done in China. Doing this type of manufacturing strategy, will ensure a way to increase the profit, all the standards need to be kept to ensure quality of the tablet itself

Taking into consideration the financial requirements of the tablet, the client should find the tablet affordable. The price should not exceed €550, this is of course cheaper than the IPad tablet but more expensive that the Kindle and most or the Android tablets. The customer should realize that from the specification given in the PDS this type of table has better specifications than the Kindle (since it is mainly used to download books) and can go head to head with both the Android and the IPad tablets..

Distinction 3 Demonstrate convergent/lateral creative thinking

To design new products is not easy as one imagines. Certain design constraints, regulation and standards must be kept, before issuing new products in the market. In this type of product the most threatening part is technology and the selling price of the product itself.

Technology these days is always one step ahead of the market, but this does not mean that there is no improvement in such products. There is much talk surrounding the tablet design whether it is best to go smaller, slicker, clearer and faster, having a emphasis on smaller. To achieve a smaller design one innovative solution can be done by having a flexible tactile screen.

Having this type of screen one can fold the tablets and store them in a briefcase, purse or even in one’s own pocket. Having this type of feature, would boost the tablet penetration in the market to a new level. This type of feature can allow the tablet to be a wearable computer which would allow the user to wear the device on his body as if it were an accessory, giving the advantage that the tablet would be accessible at all times.

Technology is the main reason why this type of screen is not in the market yet. As professor and researcher at Rice University Lin Zhong states, this type of technology is unlikely to hit the market shelves anytime soon, but when it does, it could improve the way that people will interact with their devices.

Voice command is another innovation that can be taken into consideration. Voice command can make the table more useful to the physically impaired people. In the life of these people the tablet can be quite useful. Physically impaired people can find it difficult to move their arms let alone press on a tablet. By incorporating this type of feature the physically impaired people can send e-mails, type documents, and even browse the internet, the product will therefore ease communication and can boost the social networking capability. One of the limiting factors regarding voice command is technology, software, cost and time. Both technological and software advancements need to be made in order to achieve this type of feature. Of course this type of hardware and software is already in the market, but the cost to cover this type of hardware and software and to incorporate them in such small dimensions would boost the cost of the whole tablet itself.

The world today is all about new ways to obtain energy and ways to come with new energy sources. The tablet can be made to work with solar energy. Of course the tablet still needs to be recharged; the renewable energy can be set as a backup energy. This of course will cause less energy consumption, and the final product will be a cleaner and safer environment. The limiting factor of this type of innovation is the changes in design. To incorporate this type of energy source, some sort of solar panel need to be installed. This new instalment can ruin the slick design of the product and when coming to competing with other competitors may cause damage.

The incorporation of MEMS in the electronic components rather than the using the Quartz crystal based devices is last innovation. These types of electronic devices will provide more frequency control and can be thought of as the heart of the system. Another important feature that the MEMS has over the Quartz oscillator is that MEMS are based on a highly programmable platform that enables any combination of these specifications. This programmable feature will be customized and programmed according to the user specifications. Apart from with the in-cooperation of MEMS will ensure thinner and smaller product since few electronic components are to be used.

As stated before technology is the major limiting factor, MEMS are already micro-manufactured and are already incorporated in mobile devices such as tablets and mobile phones. The downfall is to incorporate this type of electronic devices in such a slim design would mean that the product will tend to overheat therefore causing bad quality assurance to the product itself. The introduction to the external factor such as heat would mean, that other electronic components such as resistors or transistors can get damaged or even can cause if short circuits between each the components.