I think if you look at the small mobile devices

that we have today, whether we hold them in

our hand or otherwise, they are in fact
personal computers. We don't think of them
as personal computers. We think of them as
smartphones, but whetheryou talk to your
computer or whether you touch, carry in
your hand -- it's kind of a virtual computer.
They're all still personal computers that are
kind of in your personal space. It's doing
what you want it to do. No question that we
have lots of them now, and they're embedded
in all kinds of devices, and they're attached
together, and the data is somehow
synchronized and connected together.
I think they're going to be increasingly
smaller and sort of with us all the time and
providing various roles in assisting us.
Ultimately, I think it's a lot less about the
device and the physical instantiation of the
device and more about: What does it actually
do? And if you can make, or when you make,
the interface between the person and the
device more and more natural, then it
becomes even more valuable and more
powerful. There are certainly a lot of issues
there in terms of how does the human brain
and these -- how does the brain and all these
tools interact for optimal success? So you
have the visual display of information.
We can consume huge amounts of
information with our eyes -- kind of says you
want to have bigger displays, but you can't
always have them because you want to have
small displays. So there's actually a role for
many different kinds of displays. You know,
when we first had computers, we had these
very archaic programming languages, and you
had to memorize all these strange commands.
Now things are more natural, but it's still
fairly complicated and maybe suboptimal,
right? We kind of type a key here and there,
and you know, our brain's going really fast.
The microprocessor is going really fast, and
we're going like this. There's got to be ways
to improve that man/machine interface.








INTRODUCTION
A mobile computer is effectively any
computing device not constrained in its
location to a desktop or data centre. In recent
years the variety of mobile computing devices
available has rapidly increased. In doing so, it
has also turned from theory to reality a trend
for ubiquitous computing, whereby
computers are all around us in the world,
enabling access to digital content anytime,
anyplace and anywhere.
Many people believe that the future of
computing is mobile -- and, in terms of the
devices that most people and businesses use
to access cyberspace, such a view is probably
correct. Certainly the. The transition to
mobile computing will also have very major
implications. Not least it is already starting to
make the provision of mobile Internet
content as important as the publication of
web pages aimed at users of PCs. Fairly soon
now the small, often handheld screen is likely
to be king -- a subject that Don Tap Scott
explains very well in this article.
Since personal computing went mainstream
in the early 1980s, most people and
businesses purchased desktop PCs not
because they wanted to turn a valuable chunk
of office or domestic real-estate into a
permanent home for a computer, but because
it was the only option available. Today,
however, this is absolutely no longer the case,
with a mobile and far less space-consuming
computing device increasingly able to fulfil
the requirements of a great many users. So
let's take a look at the various types of mobile
hardware that are now available.

MOBILE COMPUTING
Mobile Computing is "taking a computer and
all necessary files and software out into the
field".
[1]
Mobile computing is any type of
computing which use Internet or intranet and
respective communications links, as WAN,
LAN, WLAN etc. Mobile computers may form
a wireless personal network or a piconet.

Mobile computing generally, any application
in which the computing system used is not
assigned a specific location. In some cases the
movement of the system is an essential
element of the


application; for example the system may be
mounted in a vehicle, or may be used by
someone whose work demands visits to
different locations with no on-site computing
facilities. In other cases it is the end-user who
may move from place facilities, and along the
way the user is able to use any network-
connected workstation that will automatically
reconfigure itself so as to reconstruct the
environment he or she was last using on
some other workstation. This requires the
user to carry a machine-readable
identification
HISTORY
The fascinating world of mobile computing
has only been around since the 1990s. Since
then, devices that have been developed for


mobile computing have taken over the
wireless industry. This new type of
communication is a very powerful tool for
both businesses and personal use. Mobile
computing is defined as the ability to use
technology that is not physically connected to
any static network. This actually used to
mean radio transmittersthat operated on a
stable base, usually with the help of large
antennas. 2 way radios used by police officers
were also considered mobile technology but
now, it means people can connect wirelessly
to the internet or to a private network almost
anywhere. As long as a person has one of the
devices capable of wirelessly accessing the
internet, they are participating in mobile
computing. Chances are, you have done it
with a laptop computer or a personal digital
assistant or PDA.
These days, most laptops and personal digital
assistants all have wireless cards or Bluetooth
interfaces built into them for convenient
mobile internet access. Mobile solutions are
right under everyone's nose these days, and
connectivity has never been easier. Other
common tools for mobile computing include
devices like global positioning systems and
smart phones like the Cingular Blackberry.
Tons of PDA software development has been
going on in the past five years simply because
companies have been trying hard to make
PDA technology more available to the general
public. These days, software companies
almost make more software for PDAs and
smart phones than for actual desktops.
Pocket PCs are another way to conveniently
access the internet on the fly. Everyone has
probably heard of the Palm Pilot. While they
were the pioneers of the pocket pc, many
other




now this includes the latest tablets,
ultra books, and even hardware like
the Raspberry Pi.
Ultimately, whilst mobile computing
is still barely out of its infancy, it is
fairly certain to represent a larger
and larger part of the future of
computing development. Not least
this is because desktop computers
are now a relatively mature
platform offering little scope for
high-return market development for
companies in the computing
industry. The rising green
computing agenda will
also mean that desktop computers
are replaced far less regularly, in
turn making new mobile computing
market opportunities even more
attractive. Mobile computing also
offers the potential for what Apple
once called "computing for the rest
of us" -- or in other words,
computing for those people who do
not spend their working day at a
desk, and/or those who do not want
to spend their leisure time slaved to
a desktop PC.
Mobile computing can also perhaps
even be considered as more
"natural" than those location-
dependent forms that have gone
before. As seekers, consumers,
processors, hoarders and
communicators of information,
every human being is already a
form of mobile computer.
Increasingly smart devices that can
travel with us to help in such
seeking, consuming, processing,
hoarding and communicating will
hence perhaps inevitably be very
widely adopted as soon as they
become technically and
economically mass-viable. Indeed,
one only has to look at the uptake
of mobile phones to consider the
potential.
The science fiction of the last
decade contained a great many
robots to walk beside us in
servitude.
WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF MOBILE
COMPUTING?
Answered by Michael Dell




these days - games, movies, music, videos,
you name it!

DISADVANTAGE
Quality of connectivity- as one of the
disadvantages, mobile devices will need
either WiFi connectivity or mobile
network connectivity such as GPRS, 3G
and in some countries even
4G connectivity that is why this is a
disadvantage because if you are not
nearany of these connections your access
to the internet is very limited.
Security concerns- Mobile VPNs are
unsafe to connect to, and also syncing
devices might also lead to security
concerns. accessing a WiFi network can
also be risky because WPA and WEP
security can be bypassed easily.
Power Consumption- due to the use of
batteries in these devices, these do not
tend to last long, if in a situation where


there is no source of power for
charging then that will certainly be a let-
down.

MOBILE COMPUTING:
CONCLUSIONS?
Any definition of just what
constitutes a "mobile computer"
inevitably remains both relative and
subjective. For example, back in
1981 one of the very first portable
computers was the Osborne 1. This
weighed 11.8Kg, was larger than
most modern desktop PCs, and only
ran on mains power without an
optional battery pack. At the other
end of the scale, the Antigo
measures just 150mm x 110mm x
40mm, weigh only 520 grams, and
yet is probably best categorised as
very small desktop computer.
Mobile computing is probably an area best
defined at any one point in time by those
devices that are challenging paradigms and
setting new consumer and business agendas.
And right


companies such as Dell, HP, and Toshiba
have all delved into the market. Pocket PC
software has also become much easier to use.
Most Palms use the familiar Windows
interface, allowing the general public to
access the internet via the usual Internet
Explorer or other ISPs. Also, people can easily
download useful software, including games,
Media editing tools, organization tools, and
even electronic books.
Mobile computing has evolved from two-way
radios that use large antennas to
communicate simple messages to three inch
personal computers that can do almost
everything a regular computer does. People
can't go to their local Starbucks and not see a
laptop linked up to a hotspot these days, and
mobile computing is still in its baby phase.
Natalie Aranda writes about computers. The
fascinating world of mobile computing has
only been around since the 1990s. Since then,
devices that have been developed for mobile
computing have taken over the wireless
industry. Mobile solutions are right under
everyones nose these days, and connectivity
has never been easier. Other common tools
for mobile computing include devices like
global positioning systems and smart phones
like the Cingular Blackberry



THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE
DIFFERENT CLASSES OF MOBILE
COMPUTING
Portable Computers, compacted lightweight
units including afull character set keyboard
and primarily intended as hosts for software
that may be





parameterized, as laptops,
notebooks, notepads, etc.
Mobile Phones including a restricted key
set primarily intended but not restricted
to for vocal communications, as cell
phones, smart phones, phone pads, etc.
Wearable Computers, mostly limited to
functional keys and primarily intended
as incorporation of software agents, as
watches, wristbands, necklaces, keyless
implants, etc
DEVICES
Many types of mobile computers have been
introduced since the 1990s including the:

A) Personal digital assistant (PDA)
Also known as a palmtopcomputer,
or personal data assistant, is
a mobiledevice that functions as
a personal informationmanager.
PDAs are largely considered
obsolete with the widespread
adoption of smartphones.
B) Smartphone (or smart phone)
Is a mobile phone with more
advanced computing capability and
connectivity than basic feature
phones
C) Tablet computer, or simply tablet
Is
a mobilecomputer with display, circuitry and
battery in a single unit? Tablets are equipped
with sensors,
including cameras, microphone, accelerometer


and touchscreen, with finger or stylus
gestures replacing computermouse and
keyboard. Tablets may include physical
buttons, e.g., to control basic features such as
speaker volume and power and ports for
network communications and to charge the
battery. An on-screen, pop-
up virtualkeyboard is usually



This method enables you to connect with
near and dear ones while you're in transit,
thanks to evolution of this technology!
Saves Time: Doesn't it get boring when you're
on a 12 hour-long flight across the globe?
Don't you feel you could use some of these 12
hours to get some office work done? This
technology is just the thing to use such
transit time more effectively! It also allows to
instantly connect with your family anywhere
and anytime. Missing your parents during the
college tour? Not anymore! You can connect
with them over Internet using portable
computing devices such as Internet phones
and share the fun!
Enhanced Productivity: Increased work
flexibility is directly proportionate to
enhanced work productivity - the fact that
you can do your work from any place you
want, without waiting for, and making efforts
to, get access to computing facility translates
into people being able to do more work with
greater flexibility. This is the reason why
most companies these days offer home-
computing access toemployees. Suppose a
national emergency is declared or any natural
calamity occurs (or any other reason) due to
which offices stay closed, work can still go on
as people are no longer dependent upon
office systems to get their work done!
Ease of Research: Motile computing and the
flexibility offered by it enable students as well
as professionals toconduct in-depth research
on just about any topic or subject even when
on the go!
Entertainment: As discussed previously,
nowadays, with the advent and advance of
mobile communication technology, no time is
wasted time anymore! Getting bored is so
last-decade now what with zillions of
entertainment options available on mobile
communication and computing devices











All smartphones, as computers, are
preferred targets of attacks. These
attacks exploit weaknesses related
to smartphones that can come from
means of communication
like SMS,MMS, wifi networks,
and GSM. There are also attacks
that exploit software vulnerabilities
from both the web browser and
operating system. Finally, there are
forms of malicious software that
rely on the weak knowledge of
average users.
Different security counter-measures
are being developed and applied to
smartphones, from security in
different layers of software to the
dissemination of information to end
users. There are good practices to
be observed at all levels, from
design to use, through the
development of operatingsystems,
software layers, and downloadable
apps.

ADVANTAGE

The benefits of non-stationary computing are
tremendous and manifold. While it allows us
to carry our virtual world with us wherever
we ourselves choose to be, it does so with the
same, sometimes better, ease, and
smoothness, given theever
advancingcommunications and technologies,
as done by the fixed counterparts.
Locational Flexibility: You no longer need to
stay plugged in (literally!) to a specific
location for working on your computer.
Mobile computing allows you unprecedented
flexibility to move about and perform your
activities at the same time! This is, indeed,
the chief among all other benefits. Traveling
abroad for work and missing family and
friends?








used for typing. Tablets are
typically larger than smart
phones or personal digital
assistants at 7 inches (18 cm) or
larger, measured diagonally


D) Ultra-mobile PC (ultra-mobile
personal computer or UMPC)
Is a small form factor version of
a pen computer, a class of
laptop whose specifications were
launched
by Microsoft and Intel in spring
2006. Sony had already made a first
attempt in this direction in 2004
with its Vaio U series, which was
however only sold in Asia. UMPCs
are smaller than subnotebooks, have
a TFT display measuring
(diagonally) about 12.7 to 17.8 cm
(5 to 7 inch screen), are operated
like tablet PCs using
a touchscreen or a stylus, and can
also have a physical keyboard. There
is no clear boundary between
subnotebooks and ultra-mobile PCs.
The first-generation UMPCs were
simple PCs running Linux or an adapted
version of Microsoft's tablet PC operating
system. With the announcement of the
UMPC, Microsoft dropped the licensing
requirement that tablet PCs must support
proximity sensing of the stylus, which
Microsoft termed "hovering"

E) Wearable computers
Also known as body-borne
computers or wearables are miniature
electronic devices that are worn by the bearer
under, with or on top of clothing.
[1]
This class
of wearabletechnology has been developed for
general or special purpose information
technologies and media development.
Wearable computers are especially useful



for applications that require more
complex computational support
than just hardware coded logics
LIMITATIONS
Range & Bandwidth: Mobile
Internet access is generally slower
than direct cable connections, using
technologies such
as GPRS and EDGE, and more
recently HSDPA andHSUPA 3G and
4G networks. These networks are
usually available within range of
commercialcell phone towers.
Higher speed wireless LANs are
inexpensive but have very

Security Standards: When working
mobile, one is dependent on public
networks, requiring careful use
of VPN. Security is a major concern
while concerning the mobile
computing standards on the fleet.
One can easily attack the VPN
through a huge number of
networks interconnected through
the line.
Power consumption: When a power
outlet or portable generator is not
available, mobile computers must rely
entirely on battery power. Combined
with the compact size of many mobile
devices, this often means unusually
expensive batteries must be used to
obtain the necessary battery life.

Transmission Weather:terrain, and the
range from the nearest signal point can
all interfere with signal reception.
Reception in tunnels, some buildings,
and rural areas is often poor.

Potential health hazards: People who use
mobile devices while driving are often
distracted from driving and are thus assumed
more likely to be involved in traffic
accidents.
[2]
(While this may seem obvious,
there is considerable





discussion about whether banning
mobile device use while driving reduces
accidents or not.
[3][4]
) Cell phones may
interfere with sensitive medical devices.
Questions concerning mobile phone
radiation and health have been raised.

Human interface with device: Screens
and keyboards tend to be small, which
may make them hard to use. Alternate
input methods such as speech or
handwriting recognition require training

SECURITY ISSUES
INVOLVED IN MOBILE
COMPUTING
Mobile security or mobile phone
security has become increasingly


important in mobile computing. It
is of particular concern as it relates
to the security of personal
information now stored on
the smartphone.
More and more users and
businesses use smartphones as
communication tools but also as a
means of planning and organizing
their work and private life. Within
companies, these technologies are
causingprofound changes in
theorganization
of informationsystems and therefore
they have become the source of
new risks. Indeed, smartphones
collect and compile an increasing
amount of sensitive information to
which access must be controlled to
protect the privacy of the user and
the intellectual property of the
company.