PORTABLE COMPUTING TRENDS

Portable Computing Trends



Portable Computing Trends

Introduction

Computer and Information Science are different but closely related disciplines. Even if, the effects of multiple political phenomena, economic, social, scientific and technological developments that characterize the development of humanity in the present. We are moving into a new era of portable computing, one that promises greater variety in applications, highly improved usability, and speedier networking. The 4G iPhone from Apple is the poster child for this trend, but there are plenty of other developments that point in this direction. The Google-led Android phone will make its appearance this year, offering a compelling open-source alternative to Apple's device. New, faster networking, particularly WiMax, is rolling out, allowing these devices connection speeds that approach wired broadband. This will also benefit the new crop of ultra-light laptops. (Kulewicz, 2006)

History

The computer developed in the nineteenth century, a little less than 200 years. Since then it has gone through five different eras in which it has been progressing gradually towards its demise. The longest, spanning time starts from 1833 to 1953. This era saw the birth of the 'Difference Engine' of Charles Babbage and followed the development of large-scale computers, particularly during the Second World War. Bulbs and punch cards characterized this period.

In 1953, Charles Babbage created the first transistor at the University of Manchester. With this development began the second era of computing. The transistor is an integrated circuit that functions as a miniature motor apart. The transistor lowered the cost of computers, taking them out of government laboratories and placing them in the business world. (Deng, 2005)

The third period began during the 60's, with the invention of the microchip or integrated circuit. Microchips are a collection of transistors contained in a very small three-dimensional space. The speed of processors has doubled every two years and operating systems GUI brought computing to everyone.

In 1981, the Osborne-1 computer was the first commercially successful portable. Today, the tablets are changing the market (Drew, 2003). The laptop has been commercial product success in the industry. Computing devices have reached their peak in all types of development, forms and applications 'The Osborne-1', which ushered in the era of mobile computing started in April 1981. The concept of progress was a laptop set to change the way you use computers and has achieved its goal, despite facing possible extinction today. This "small" computer, developed by Osborne Computer Corporation, presented in partnership with the Computer Fair in San Francisco in 1981, and its price was $ 1,795. It was quite expensive but affordable for many companies. It belonged to the "portable" team category, as it only allowed its weight could be moved from one place to another, and it was not portable enough. However, six years earlier, IBM had introduced the 5100, a computer 'convertible', midway between portable and desktop, but whose commercial success was more limited due to its price, between 9,000 and 20,000 dollars. (Kulewicz, 2006)

The 'Osborne-1' was necessary for the owner, who had ...