With the
increased use of tablets and smart phones I thought it timely to start
addressing these devices individually and also how you can best use your
computer in conjunction with them. Over the coming months I will attempt to aid those struggling with these
technologies to understand how best they can be used.
Smart phones Definition
A smart
phone can be best described as a device which apart from providing texting and
phone facilities also includes the ability to provide services previously the
remit of the desktop and laptop computer. From email to internet browsing to
running programs the modern smart phone provides many, but not all, of the
facilities of a personal computer.
Smart phones
should not be viewed as a replacement for a desktop/laptop computer but rather
as an extension of computing services to a mobile hand held device. This
definition also covers tablets except of course there is no texting or phone
facilities on your regular tablet.
Smart phone Types
Leaving
aside the brand name of the phones, smart phones can be divided into three
distinct model groups. These groups are defined by the operating system that is
used on the phone, just the same as computers are divided in windows apple and
linux operating systems.
The three
groups on smartphones are:
- Apple smart phones
- Android smart phones
- Windows smart phones
The first
two, apple and android, have the lion share of the market with windows holding
only a tiny piece of the market.
When it
comes to choosing the one that best suits your needs you will most likely be offered
the choice of either Apple or Android . Samsung Sony and HTC are all smart
phones using the android operating system. Tablets similarly are divided by the
same classification. For the purpose of this and other articles I will be
concentrating on Apple and android smart phones.
Selecting A Smart Phone Maker
There is no
need to discuss this issue with Apple smart phones as Apple are the only one
producing them and patents ensure no one can bring a clone to market. The same
is not true of android with a wide variety of manufacturers selling various
models. As with any technology I always recommend you stick with known quality
manufacturers but the market changes so fast in smart phones you’ll be tempted
by some of the startup companies. Next month I’ll delve into the differences
between Apple and Android smart phones.
