Cool Technology of the Week

For years, I've said that the ideal computing device for clinicians is simple:

1.  Under 1 pound
2.  8-12 hour battery life
3.  5x7 inch form factor that can fit into an white coat pocket
4.  Easy to disinfect (medicine is messy)
5.  Can be dropped 5 feet onto carpet without significant damage

I predict that the iPad and the plethora of new similar devices are going to be the emerging clinical platform of choice for healthcare in 2011.

The latest announcement from RIM, the Playbook, seems to address my requirements list very well - it's small, lightweight, and advertised as stable/reliable/secure/enterprise ready.

Of course, it will be interesting to watch how the developer marketplace responds given that its operating system (QNX) is not Android nor the iPhone/Ipad iOS.

However, since all my applications are browser-based, in many ways we do not care what device users choose as long as it is secure.

Nirvana for clinical computing devices is finally arriving.   That's cool

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