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Mobile Devices
The Mobile Device is Different
Mass-market wireless mobile devices present a more liberated computing environment compared to desktop computers. Because of fundamental limitations of battery life, mass-market mobile devices tend to have:
- Less powerful Central Processing Unit's
- Less memory
- Restricted power consumption
- Smaller displays
- Different input devices
The limited screen size and lack of a mouse requires a different interface than the conventional desktop Graphical User Interface. Because there is a performance gap between the very best desktop computers and the very best mobile devices, the method used to deliver wireless data to devices will have to effectively address this gap. As this gap changes over time, standards will have to continually evolve and converge to keep pace with available functionality and market needs. The functionality is delivered by way of consumer web services.
Distribution of Mobile Devices
Distribution among current mobile applications are:
- Field services 8%
- Field sales 5%
- Transportation 16%
- Personal communications 26%
- Mobile office 45%
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Mobile Device Categories
In order to get a structure into a variety of mobile devices we distinguish between four major categories:
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Mobile devices (PDA, mobile phone, laptop, Portable USB's)
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Household appliances
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Intelligent controls (sensors)
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Entertainment systems (Xbox, Playstation)
Operating Systems
The main two operating systems influencing the mobile computing market are 3COM's Palm Pilot, and mobile devices based on Windows CE and Pocket PC. Many of these mobile devices now come with a standard set of communications and scripting protocols called Wireless Application Protocol (WAP). The mobile phones come with a micro browser for accessing web content.
Portable USB's
With a USB flash drive and a little forethought, you can take a personal computer everywhere and leave your laptop at home.
With the right device and software, you can plug your flash drive into a computer at an internet cafe, hotel business centre or other location, and have all the tools and files you need to do your work, complete with your own personal launch menu.
A USB flash drive allows you to carry a far wider assortment of the programs, utilities and fun applications to get going in pocket computing. |
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