de Nowadays business owners tend to use tablets outside meeting halls since they allow workers to quickly check if the room is available, and book space for meetings at a specific time. Tablets allow for easier spotting of the place availability since it is possible to set up colored visual signs that employees can spot from afar. This helps workers to reduce the amount of time they spend searching for a vacant meeting space.
Moreover, the variety of apps available for display equipment allow for easy preliminary scheduling of conference rooms. In such a manner, company chief executives can set up a strict schedule for accommodation usage. Generally speaking, a wall-mounted monitor tablet is a highly versatile meeting room management tool.
A great many devices are available, and that is why finding the best option for meeting space monitoring may turn out to be a difficult task. Companies have different meeting policies and budgets available for purchasing hardware. The given article aims to provide insights into the best tablets that may fit the needs of most companies.
The best tablets for a meeting room schedule display
Probably the most known and widely used tablet in the world. iPad definitely deserves to be mentioned first, because of its flawless quality and versatility. iPad is available in two versions: regular and mini. The regular version can be purchased for a price starting from $329. The price for the iPad mini starts from $499.
Apple is a long-standing brand that creates multi-purpose devices of great quality. There are several key points to why should one choose an iPad conference room display:
- Versatility. There are a lot of different applications available for iOS. Thus, touchpads can be used not only for monitoring but also for many other work-related tasks.
- Quality. Apple products are of exceptional quality and security and thus can guarantee years of fail-safe work.
- Third-party product support. There are many efficient mount add-ons for iPads, that enhance their display capabilities. For example, one may purchase a LED light mount that connects to the tablet and synchronizes its color with the color on the screen. This helps workers to quickly spot whether the meeting room is available.
It is also worth mentioning that one should take precautionary measures to avoid battery swells on an iPad. The touchpanels are not intended for being constantly plugged in. Using smart plugs is advisable, in order to avoid damaging the iPad.
Devices of this brand are the best option for large companies, or business owners, who want to equip their headquarters with commercial-grade hardware solutions. Crestron produces high-quality tabs specifically for room scheduling, availability indication, and other office work-related purposes. Crestron's products are of high price tier and thus require major investment. Prices for those panels start from $1300. But the price is definitely worth it since Crestron offers its customers a full-scale dashboard for business.
Crestron-developed tablets are enterprise-grade, thus offering a vast functionality for all sorts of office-related tasks, conference room booking in particular. To sum it up, those are the main reasons to choose Crestron devices for your office:
- Specialized software. Crestron touch panels are highly focused on office scheduling. It supports a lot of apps for enterprise labor. For example, it is possible to set up a calendar for future meetings and events.
- Third-party software is compatible. The devices support the usage of various scheduling programs from standalone developers.
- Smart power usage. Crestron panels are powered by Power-over-Ethernet technology, which ensures a stable internet connection and prevents battery swell.
In terms of workspace scheduling, Crestron also provides separate indicators for office availability. Those are mounted on walls and connected to the touchpad for further management. The text on the indicators can be manually customized.
This is the best option for the ones who prefer Android-based systems above iOS. Generally speaking, Samsung Galaxy tablets have almost the same technical specifications as iPads. Android-based systems offer greater compatibility for organizations that accomplish most assignments via personal computers. Samsung touchpads are distributed at affordable prices starting from $99.99.
When it comes to external mount hardware, Samsung Galaxy touchpads lag behind other devices, since there are very few companies that develop mounts for Android OS. Still, there are several specific points, that make Samsung Galaxy Tabs worthy of attention:
- Technical support. Samsung's specialists offer a variety of options in case of any device malfunctions. For example, the touch panel can be exchanged for a new one, in case of serious issues.
- Versatility. Android devices are extremely feature-rich when it comes to work-related tasks. There is a huge variety of different applications that may offer a lot of help in many other assignments.
The compatibility with PCs is especially useful when the tablet is used as a conference room scheduling display. Samsung Galaxy Tabs can be easily accessed and configured from a computer.
Those tablets are a great choice for business owners, who have just recently started their business or are just trying to save funds on meeting hall availability displays. Amazon Fire tabs are sold at rather low prices starting from $49.99. Of course, those devices have much worse performance in comparison to the touchpads described above.
Amazon Fire may definitely perform well, when used strictly for office-related tasks, such as conference hall scheduling monitoring. Amazon devices have some beneficial points:
- Cheap price. The low price of Amazon Fire allows for easier bulk purchasing. This may benefit organizations with many rooms in their headquarters, or the ones needing to provide each worker with a personal touch panel for work.
- Android-based. Fire OS developed by Amazon is based on Android. Thus, Amazon Fire is a highly versatile tool since it supports a huge variety of third-party scheduling applications.
Notably, though there are different mounts available for Amazon Fire, their prices are less affordable in comparison to the price for the device itself.
A rather moderate solution for a meeting room vacancy viewing. Though Chromebase mini has better hardware specifications than Amazon Fire, it still lags behind the first three conference hall panels. Chromebase mini's average price is $326.99, which is affordable for most companies. Still, it might seem overpriced, when you compare it to display solutions like GoGets.
Chromebase mini does have some interesting benefits, that might interest a lot of business owners:
- All-in-One. Chromebase mini devices can be used both as tablets and desktops. This greatly extends the office usability of Chromebase.
- Durable design. The touch panels are highly tamper-proof and ensure protection from dust and water exposure.
It is worth mentioning that Chromebase mini uses Chrome OS. It has very few room scheduler apps available. With some tinkering, such software can still be made available on this system.
UnSpot Meeting Room Display
UnSpot tablet for the meeting rooms is a modern solution for meeting hall booking and viewing. This system allows for easy and quick room booking. The software solves a lot of workspace managerial issues and helps employees navigate the building more efficiently. With UnSpot, office reservation turns into an efficient and enjoyable process.
UnSpot Display is currently available for iOS devices like iPad. But first of all, one needs a special holder that is distributed in two variants:
- Standard. This holder has a simplistic design that allows for easy wall mounting of an iPad and usage of power from a special socket. The price - from $40.
- Premium. The main feature of this holder is a built-in PoE system that ensures a stable internet connection and protection from battery swell. The price – from $195.
UnSpot software can be installed via the App Store and features a free trial period. Users are to enter a monthly subscription, in order to use all the application's features. The price depends on the currency.
