Information Technology Fundamentals - Mobile Computing Devices

Mobile Computing Devices

The term "mobile computing devices" encompasses a wide range of gadgets that enable individuals to access data and information regardless of whether they are seated or on the move. This makes them more portable and less cumbersome than conventional computers.

Some mobile computers, like Nokia's, have a hardware keyboard built right in, while most modern smartphones and tablets instead use a touch screen for both input and output.

Smartphones and tablets have emerged as the two most popular forms of mobile devices nowadays.

Smartphones

Smartphones, which combine mobile phones and personal computers, are widely regarded as the catalyst for the most significant advancement in computing since the advent of the Internet. Because of its portability, computing power, and other features, a smartphone can replace a desktop computer in almost any situation. They function similarly to miniaturized computers by making it easy to duplicate, transfer, and exchange data.

Most modern smartphones have sufficient processing power to allow us to engage in a wide variety of computing activities, such as playing games, editing text documents and spreadsheets, reading books, and listening to music, all while on the go.

Smartphones can be most usefully sorted by Operating System. Smartphones can be broadly classified into the following three categories, depending on their operating system:

iOS, an operating system developed by Apple for use on the iPhone and iPad. This operating system is exclusive to Apple products and cannot be installed on PCs or Android tablets, for example.

The Android operating system, developed by Google, is a mobile-specific version of Linux. The Android operating system is used by many low-priced smartphones and tablets.

Microsoft's Windows Phones are essentially Windows for mobile devices. Windows 10 mobile is the name for a tablet running Microsoft's operating system.

Tablets 

A tablet is similar to a smartphone, only it has a larger screen and cannot be used as a phone.

These days, Phablets (tablets with built-in cellphone functionality) are widely accessible.

Tablets, in layman's terms, are an intermediate device between laptops and smartphones. Since it shares its iOS software with the iPhone, the iPad can claim the title of "most popular tablet" in the world. The Android operating system is also used by a wide variety of other tablets, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab, the HTC Tab, and many more.