I was writing an install procedure for one of our software products (for tablets) and just thought I should share my thoughts on the style for referring to tablet names.

I compiled a list of tablets available in the market.

 

Company	Device	Software	Usual name
Amazon	Kindle	Android	Amazon Kindle
Barnes and Noble	Nook Color eBook	Android	Nook
Samsung	Galaxy	Android	Samsung Galaxy Tab
Toshiba	Excite Thrive	Android	Toshiba Excite Toshiba Thrive
Dell	Streak	Android	Dell Streak
Lenovo	K1 Ideapad	Android	Lenovo Ideapad
Sony	Tablet S	Android	Sony Tablet S
Motorola	XOOM	Android	Motorola Xoom
HTC	Evo View	Android	HTC Sprint
Google	Nexus	Android	Google Nexus
Apple	iPad	Apple OS	Apple iPad
BlackBerry	Playbook	BlackBerry OS	BlackBerry Playbook
HP	TouchPad	HP Web OS	HP TouchPad
Samsung	Slate PC	Windows 7 Home Premium	Samsung Series 7 Slate PC
Acer	ICONIA	Windows 7 HomePremium32 bit	Acer ICONIA
HP	Slate	Windows 7 Professional	HP Slate

                                                                                                                                                                

The usual features users need are size, storage, Internet connectivity (WiFi), apps, etc. The tablets run on different processors and Operating System (OS). However, the OS seems to be the main category by which tablets are known.

The three most popular OS are: Apple OS, Android, and Windows.

The “devices” are known by different names. For example:

Devices that run on Android (as many companies offer these tablets) are commonly known as Android tablets. Of course end users might know and buy Motorola Xoom or Samsung Galaxy tab with Android, etc.

Similarly for tablets that run on Windows, the usual reference is to Windows tablets.

So when writing a procedure (probably installation and configuration procedures) for a product that works on a specific tablet, the heading would be:

– My Product Procedure for iPad (not Apple iOS 5 – the OS for apple tablets!)

– My Product Procedure for Android tablets

– My Product Procedure for Windows tablets

Note that we call iPad – the device – Apple iPad. This is the deviation in style! We skip Google in the Android name and Microsoft in the Windows reference.

Strictly…if we write a procedure titled, My Product Procedure for Apple iPad, referring to the device name, then we should have My Product Procedure for Samsung Galaxy tab or My Product Procedure for Acer ICONIA! But that would be going overboard and into too much detail. What we actually mean is: “My Product Procedure for Tablets that run a) Apple OS b) Windows OS c) Android OS, and so on.”

Therefore, I think it is best to keep it as My Product Procedure for Windows Tablets or My Product Procedure for Android Tablets. The plural form “tablets” is NEEDED to cover all tablets that run on Windows or Android. (I also read somewhere that tablets and tablet PCs mean the same.)

The only problem would be if at all a different company other than Apple suddenly offers their own tablets with Apple OS! Then we might need to change the heading for the My Product Procedure for iPad to “My Product Procedure for iPad tablets”! Or ask Apple to make their OS name popular 🙂