A mobile device (also known as a handheld device, handheld computer or simply handheld) is a small, hand-held computing device, typically having a display screen with touch input and/or a miniature keyboard and less than 2 pounds (0.91 kg). Early pocket sized ones were joined in the late 2000s by larger but otherwise similar tablet computers. As in a personal digital assistant (PDA), the input and output are often combined into a touch-screen interface.
Smartphones and PDAs are popular amongst those who wish to use some of the powers of a conventional computer in environments where carrying one would not be practical. Enterprise digital assistants can further extend the available functionality for the business user by offering integrated data capture devices like barcode, RFID and smart card readers.
Mobile devices such as the iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ and others are revolutionizing the way information can be disseminated. Contrast this with the older generation mobile devices such as Personal Data Assistants (PDAs) which primarily focused on data storage and display. "Today, an increasingly large number of devices are focusing not only on data storage and display, but also on communication and processing." [1]
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Mobile devices have been designed for many applications and include:
Handheld devices have become ruggedized for use in mobile field management. Uses include digitizing notes, sending and receiving invoices, asset management, recording signatures, managing parts, and scanning barcodes.
Recent developments in mobile collaboration systems employ handheld devices that combine video, audio and on-screen drawing capabilities to enable multi-party conferencing in real-time, independent of location.[2]
Handheld computers are available a variety of form factors, including smartphones on the low end, handheld PDAs, Ultra-Mobile PCs and Tablet PCs. Laptops are not generally considered to be mobile devices as they are not small enough to hold in one's hand.
Users can watch television through Internet and mobile devices. Mobile television receivers have existed since 1960s, and in the 21st century mobile phone providers began making television available on cellular phones.[3]
Web site operators have had to develop mobile device detection software in order to ensure that the correct versions of web sites are being sent to the correct mobile devices.[4]
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