The ergonomic and social problems with tablets

Without a stand, tablets are inconvenient as they need to be propped up or continuously held with one hand.  With a stand/folding case, they are great in meeting rooms as they don't obstruct the view of the tablet user from the other meeting participants.  I think this is equivalent to keeping your hands visible during an interview and in my opinion, it speaks to a subconscious need for people to know that your hands aren't hiding weapons, etc. (only slightly tongue-in-cheek).

Tablets are good when you have an arm rest to support the hand holding the tablet.  But in my experience and looking at other people, they are terrible on public transportation.  When sitting down, there are no arm rests and it is tiring to hold a tablet with one hand and mash your finger against it with the other.  If standing up, you have to hold onto something in case of sudden stops or swerves.  In the meantime, you also have to hold your fragile tablet and navigate with the other hand.  Touch screen phones are much nicer for public transportation because they are capable of one-handed use.  

Compared to traditional laptops, tablets are great for presenting information to others.  I think of them as useful for doctors making the rounds, realtors showing houses to their clients, and for salespeople on the sales floor.  When you have to be mobile, you're on your feet, and you want a large screen to view information and show to others, a tablet is ideal.  When a table is available, depending on the stand, they are also better than traditional laptops in that they have a smaller footprint.  This can be an advantage when the table is small (I'm thinking at a coffee shop or restaurant) and you're trying to share something on the screen with another person.  

One place where tablets are not socially acceptable is in public washrooms.  A tablet, 7" or larger, is difficult to discreetly take into a washroom.  Again, in this situation, smartphones win out.  Bringing a newspaper or tablet into the washroom may continue to be frowned upon for some years to come ...?