Tablet PC's, PDAs, Smartphones and Blackberries

The world wide web is awash with websites devoted to all these new and wonderful gadgets, so there is no point in us re-inventing the wheel. Instead, this page provides a useful overview of what different devices are available, and where you can get more information on them.

Tablet PCTablet PC
A tablet PC is a notebook- or slate-shaped mobile computer. Its touchscreen or digitizing tablet technology allows the user to operate the computer with a stylus or digital pen instead of a keyboard or mouse.

A user can input text using the built-in handwriting recognition, on-screen (virtual) keyboard, speech recognition, or a physical keyboard (if available).

PDAPDA
Personal digital assistants (also called PDAs) are handheld devices that were originally designed as personal organizers, but became much more versatile over the years. A basic PDA usually includes date book, address book, task list, memo pad, clock, and calculator software. Newer PDAs also have both color screens and audio capabilities, enabling them to be used as mobile phones, web browsers or media players. Many PDAs can access the Internet, intranets or extranets via Wi-Fi, or Wireless Wide-Area Networks (WWANs).

SmartPhoneSmartphone
A smartphone is any electronic handheld device that integrates the functionality of a mobile phone, personal digital assistant (PDA) or other information appliance. This is often achieved by adding telephone functions to an existing PDA or putting "smart" capabilities, such as PDA functions, into a mobile phone. A key feature of a smartphone is that additional applications can be installed on the device. The applications can be developed by the manufacturer of the handheld device, by the operator or by any other third-party software developer.

BlackberriesBlackberries
The BlackBerry is a wireless handheld device that was introduced in 1999 that supports e-mail, mobile telephone, text messaging, web browsing and other wireless information services. It was developed by Research In Motion (RIM), delivering information over wireless data networks of cellular telephone companies. It made headway in the marketplace by first concentrating on e-mail.

 



 

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