Editor’s Note: The following article is reprinted from Network World.
Cisco got into the tablet market Wednesday by launching its
Cisco Cius, a mobile tablet computer that is specifically designed for enterprise users.
Cisco Cius
What makes this new device interesting is that Cisco has said that it doesn’t want the device to be perceived as a consumer device or as a direct competitor to the popular Apple iPad. Rather, the Cius is tailored strictly for the business user and can be seen as
“complimentary” to the Apple tablet. In particular, Cisco has designed the tablet to revolve around its enterprise collaboration technology, including its TelePresence video conferencing technology and its WebEx Web conferencing and meeting applications.
So with all this in mind, let’s take a look at what the Cius offers business users and how it differs from the iPad.
Size and weight
The Cius is physically smaller than the iPad and its 7-inch diagonal screen is significantly smaller than the iPad’s 9.7-inch diagonal screen. Despite its smaller size, the Cius weighs the same as the iPad at 1.5 lbs.
Connectivity
While we don’t yet know what carrier will be supporting the Cisco Cius, Cisco has said that the tablet will feature 3G connectivity at the outset and 4G connectivity later on. Whether this means that the Cius will work over WiMAX or LTE is currently unknown, since we don’t know what carrier it will use. The device also supports Wi-Fi standards 802.11 a, b, g and n.
