Editor's Note

It’s been roughly one month since I bought my Samsung Galaxy Tablet, and my new gadget has been worth every penny. Not only does it connect me to my work and personal emails, my Facebook and Twitter accounts, and my Orbitz and Concur travel accounts; it also enables me to write and edit Microsoft office documents and presentations.

But what I like most about this Tablet, and the main reason why I chose the Galaxy Tablet instead of the iPad, is that it fits in my pocket – my back pocket if I’m wearing jeans, or the side pocket of my sports jacket, keeping me truly hands free.

The second reason I chose the Galaxy Tablet over the iPad is the fact that it runs on Google’s Android operating system. And as nice as the Apple OS is, my bet is that Google is going to win out in the long run as the mobile OS that extends into the workplace.

Case in point: a story that I filed for our March issue of Progressive Grocer discusses how Bi-Lo has switched to Google Enterprise Apps for its document and office productivity software – it runs its email, intranet, documents, spreadsheets, and presentations – all hosted by Google over the Internet. Not only has Google Apps helped Bi-Lo cut costs, but it has also enhanced its productivity and internal collaboration to boot.

This leads me to make two predictions for how technology is going to shift in the coming months, and I’d like to know your thoughts about these predictions:

First, we’re going to see a lot more of Google throughout the food retailing business – both in the form of the Android mobile operating system, but also in the form of its enterprise applications – particularly among the independent grocer segment, for which I think it’s tailor-made.

And second, I believe the Tablet market as a whole will cut into the growth of Smartphones. Take me as an example. Now that my tablet can handle everything I could possibly need App-wise, all I need my phone for now – is calls. I’m actually planning to dumb down my phone by removing its data package, because of my new Tablet.

And with all the new Tablets exploding on to the market since the Galaxy, I see others users following suit with their Smartphones.

Let me know your thoughts by connecting with me on PG’s Independent Grocer Network , Facebook, Twitter  or the old-fashioned way, with email, via [email protected],