Mobile Computing

2. The Options

2.1 The most powerful option is a portable computer.

• Portable computers (usually referred to as laptops or notebooks) work in the same way as desktops, using standard desktop software.
• The market is dominated by PC-compatible laptops running a version of the Windows operating system. The other main type is Apple Macintosh.

2.2 The most portable option is a PDA (personal digital assistant).

• PDAs are small, light devices.
• They are less powerful than laptops, but more convenient if your needs are limited.
• You usually input information by 'writing' on the screen rather than using a keyboard.

2.3 There is a wide and growing range of mobile devices.

• Mid-sized devices tend to offer a compromise between the functionality of laptops and the portability of PDAs.
• As telecommunications and computing converge, some mobile phones offer many of the capabilities of a PDA.

2.4 The range of options and different terminology can be confusing or even misleading.

For example:

• Smaller laptops are sometimes referred to as 'subnotebooks'.
• 'Handheld' computers tend to be about the size of a book, with a small keyboard and screen, and run cut-down versions of a standard operating system and software.
• 'Palm' computer usually refers to a PDA.