VCE IT Theory Slideshows

Mobile computing devices

By Mark Kelly, Vceit.com

iPhone

Contents

SD U4O1 KK02- types and characteristics of mobile computing devices, including:

• PDAs• mobile phones• Laptops• gaming consoles

PDA

• Personal digital assistant - a.k.a. palmtop computer, handheld computer, personal information manager (PIM).

PDA

• Often now indistinguishable from smartphones: PDAs without phone facilities account for a tiny percentage of sales.

• Now often have music/video players, downloadable apps (applications)

PDA

• Portable, light, low electrical requirements.• Small storage capacity (SD card, Flash RAM, a

little RAM)• Often have proprietary plugs & sockets.• Very limited display size and data entry

controls.

PDA

• Many have a touchscreen. Older varieties used QWERTY soft or physical keyboards, or a stylus.

• Some models have handwriting recognition.• Usually can synchronise data with another

computer.

PDA

• Often used to manage stock, collect signatures at post offices when packages are collected, issue parking tickets etc.

PDA

• Software is usually restricted to a single make or model.

• Apple OS applications are controlled by Apple.• Android OS applications are less controlled.• Some run cut-down versions of 'regular'

operating systems (e.g. Windows Mobile)• Common examples: Palm Pilot, Blackberry.

Mobile Phones

• Obviously, can make wireless phone calls

• Many now are smartphones/PDAs - the border between them all is blurring more every day.

Laptops/notebooks

• a.k.a. Notebook computers• Not phone-capable (except using VoIP)• Run a full computer operating system (e.g.

Windows, Mac OS, Linux)• Portable, battery powered• Powerful CPU• Can have large amounts of RAM

Laptops

• Often have optical drives, several USB ports, HDMI, VGA out, audio ports.

• Large amounts of RAM (1 to 6G) and secondary storage (SSD or HDD)

• Can be as powerful as a desktop PC

Laptops

• Large display (compared with a PDA) - e.g. 13" to 18"

• Nearly full QWERTY keyboard (sometimes keys are smaller than a normal keyboard)

Laptops

• Tablet computers also have rotatable touch-sensitive screens for data entry and display.

• Lower-powered laptops are merging with higher-end netbooks.

Tablets• For consumers, not producers• iOS, Android, Linux OS.• Large, high resolution display• Touch-screen data input, virtual keyboard

Tablets• Designed for the web• Good multimedia• Weaker CPU than notebook• Less RAM, storage

Gaming Consoles

• Primarily designed for gaming - strong on graphics, sound

• Often internet-connectable• Special-purpose gaming controllers

The future

• Distinctions between laptops, phones, PDAs etc are blurring.

• E.g. the iPad is not phone capable and cannot be used as normal computers (to run spreadsheets for example) but

• Newer tablets (e.g. Samsung Galaxy) work as phones as well as fully-functional computers.

Mobile computing constraints• CPU speed• Input devices• Screen resolution, screen size• Memory size• Secondary storage

Mobile computing constraints• Limited connection to external

devices (e.g. printers)• Future expandability• OS restrictions (e.g. Apple OS)• Battery duration & lifetime• Wireless/Wired connectivity

distance/speed

Mobile computing constraints• Robustness• General usability (try using a

spreadsheet on an iPhone!)

By Mark Kellymark@vceit.com

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