The ease and simplicity of the new tablets is enough to bring people into the computer world that otherwise would not, simply because they have no real need for a computer. Browsing, shopping, socializing and emailing are all they need, or frankly know how to use, and tablets are the perfect device. That they can also view movies and videos and that apps abound, will surely propel these toys to the top of everyone’s holiday list, so their sales will naturally overtake computer sales.

But that speaks to the change in the type of computer we use (output), not the “way” we use them (input), which has been evolving for years. All of today’s devices still use the keyboard. Voice input has been lurking in the background and will surely be the next evolution in the way we use all of our devices. When the forces of technology and finance are up to the task of accommodating the vast algorithms and massive speed and storage, the landscape of computing as we’ve come to know it will dramatically change. It’s happening before our eyes but we’re so spoiled by the computer’s evolutionary changes, we now expect revolutionary change.