Post on 23-Oct-2014
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Karan Singh Arora Project Work
PROJECT REPORT
ON
COMPUTING DEVICES
A JOURNEY FROM DESKS OF OUR HOMES TO THE PALM OF OUR HANDS
SUBMITTED IN THE PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF B.COM (HONS) IIIRD YEAR
UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF:MR. RAJIV MIDHA(Faculty of Delhi University)
SUBMITTED BY:KARAN SINGH ARORAROLL NO. – 116
SRI GURU NANAK DEV KHALSA COLLEGEUNIVERSITY OF DELHI
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DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this project report titled Computing
Devices: A journey from desks of our home to the palm
Of our hands submitted in the partial fulfillment of the
requirement of B.COM (HONS) IIIRD YEAR, is a
bonafide work undertaken by me and it is not submitted to
any other University for the award of any degree, diploma /
certificate or published any time before.
( )
KARAN SINGH ARORA
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The present work is an effort to throw some light on
“Computing Devices: A journey from the desks of our
home to the palm of our hands”. The work would not
have been possible to come to the present shape without the
able guidance, supervision and help to me by number of
people.
With deep sense of gratitude I acknowledge the
encouragement and guidance received by my mentor MR.
RAJIV MIDHA (Faculty of Delhi University)
I convey my heartfelt affection to all those people who
helped and supported me during the course, for completion
of my project report.
( )
KARAN SINGH ARORA
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PROJECT CONTENTS
Evolution Of Computing Device
Types Of Computing Devices
1. Desktop Computers
1.1 All – in - Ones
2. Laptops
3. Personal Digital Assistant (PDAs)
4. Smart Phones
5. Tablet PCs
Conclusion
Bibliography
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EVOLUTION OF
COMPUTING DEVICES
The history of computer development is often referred to in
reference to the different generations of computing devices.
Each generation of computer is characterized by a major
technological development that fundamentally changed the
way computers operate, resulting in increasingly smaller,
cheaper, and more powerful and more efficient and reliable
devices.
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A desktop computer is a personal computer (PC) in a form
intended for regular use at a single location, as opposed to a
mobile laptop or portable computer.
Desktop and tower computers are two different styles of
computer case that use desk space in varying ways.
Desktop computers are designed to lay flat on the desk,
while towers stand upright.
Prior to the widespread use of microprocessors, a computer
that could fit on a desk was considered remarkably small.
“Desktop” indicates a horizontally-oriented computer case
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usually intended to have the display screen placed on top to
save space on the desktop. Most modern desktop computers
have separate screens and keyboards.
Tower cases are sometimes incorrectly called desktop
computers as some will locate them on a desk instead of on
the floor under the desk. Cases intended for home theater
PC systems are usually considered to be desktop cases in
both senses, regardless of orientation and placement.
All – in – Ones
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All-in-One computers are desktop computers that combine
the CPU and Speaker into the same case as the Monitor.
Apple has manufactured several popular examples of all-in-
one computers, such as the original Macintosh of the mid-
1980s and the iMac of the late 1990s and 2000s. Some
older 8-bit computers, such as the Commodore PET 2001
or Kaypro II, also fit into this category. All-in-One PCs are
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typically more portable than other desktop PCs and many
have been built with carrying handles integrated into the
case. They can simply be unplugged and transported to a
new location.
Like laptops, All-in-One desktop computers are
characterized by a comparative lack of upgradeability or
hardware customization, as internal hardware is often
placed in the back of the visual display unit.
Furthermore, in the case of the iMac line since 2002, the
CPU and other internal hardware units are, more or less,
permanently glued to the motherboard due to space
constraints. Below is the one of the pictures of the iMac
from Apple.Inc
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However, latest models of the All-In-One Computer have
changed their approach to this issue. Many of the current
offerings are using standard off-the-shelf components and
are designing upgrade convenience into their products.
Laptops
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A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal
computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of
the typical components of a desktop computer, including a
display, a keyboard, a pointing device (a touchpad, also
known as a track pad, and/or a pointing stick) and speakers
into a single unit. A laptop is powered by mains electricity
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via an AC adapter, and can be used away from an outlet
using a rechargeable battery.
Portable computers, originally monochrome CRT-based
and developed into the modern laptops, and were originally
considered to be a small niche market, mostly for
specialized field applications such as the military,
accountants and sales representatives. As portable
computers became smaller, lighter, cheaper, more powerful
and as screens size became larger and of better resolution,
laptops have become more popular.
Laptop as a Desktop Replacement
A desktop-replacement computer is a laptop that provides
all of the capabilities of a desktop computer, with a similar
level of performance. Desktop replacements are usually
larger and heavier than standard laptops. They contain
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more powerful components and have a 15" or larger
display. They are bulkier than and not as portable as other
laptops, and their operation time on batteries is typically
shorter; they are intended to be used as compact and
transportable alternatives to a desktop computer.
Some laptops in this class use a limited range of desktop
components to provide better performance for the same
price at the expense of battery life; a few of those models
have no battery.
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In the early 2000s, desktops were more powerful, easier to
upgrade, and much cheaper than laptops, but in later years
laptops have become much cheaper and more powerful, and
most peripherals are available in laptop-compatible USB
versions which minimize the need for internal add-on
cards. In the second half of 2008, laptops outsold desktops
for the first time.
Should you buy a Laptop or Desktop Computer?
This is the first major choice to be made when deciding on
a computer. Laptops (also referred to as notebooks) and
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desktops are each useful in their own right. Choosing
between them is a difficult decision.
I have summarized some of the reasons you may want to
invest in a laptop versus a desktop below.
Advantages of Laptops
You can take it with you - I constantly take my
laptop out on the front porch on nice mornings or
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evenings, I take it when traveling, and I take it to my
favorite coffee shop to surf the web while having a
coffee.
No Cords! - This is especially true if you have a
wireless internet connection at home.
Laptops use less power - If you tend to leave your
computers on frequently, a laptop will draw
considerably less power, which can save you money in
the long term.
Disadvantages of Laptops
It is easier to steal or damage - Keep it close to
you, or someone may walk off with your laptop and
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maybe more importantly, all of your bank logins,
passwords, digital pictures, e-mails and everything
else that you have on there.
It costs more than a desktop with the same
specifications.
It is more expensive to upgrade or repair -
If you drop it, and you do not have an accidental
damage warranty, you could be paying as much to
repair it as you did to buy it. Several manufacturers
offer accidental damage warranties that are a
worthwhile investment in some cases.
Price comparison typical Laptop versus typical Desktop June 2006
Laptop Comments Desktop Price Comparison of a typical laptop versus a typical Desktop computer.
Things to keep in
ModelDell Inspiron
E1505Dell Dimension
E510
Monitor 15.4" Built in LCD
Desktop has 1.6" larger
screen
17" LCD
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mind:#1 You should consider your needs at least three years into the future. Will you be traveling more? Do you have kids entering college soon?
# 2 If you decide on a laptop, you will probably want wireless Internet access, check out my Wireless page for details on what you need and how to protect yourself.
#3 No matter what you decide, you should protect your investment, read through my spyware and viruses page, to protect yourself online.
Price $ 1,362Desktop is $533
cheaper $ 829
ProcessorIntel Core Duo T2500 (2 GHz)
Desktop has faster
processor
Intel Pentium D 820 (2.8 GHz)
Memory 1 GB 1 GB
Hard Drive 100 GBThis is a tie, I could have bumped the desktop to a
160 GB for $4080 GB
DVD Burner? YesTie again. Both can burn 4.6GB and 8.5GB DVDs
Yes
CD Burner? Yes Yes
Portable Yes The laptop is portable and the desktop is not
No
Weight 6.18 lbs The laptop weighs less > 25 lbs
Power needed 65w A laptop draws less
power than a desktop, so it will cost less money to run
up to 305w
Operating SystemWindows XP Media Center
2005
Windows XP Media Center 2005
Graphics Mid-range Mid-range
Warranty2 yr Parts &
Labor2 yr Parts & Labor
Personal Digital Assistant (PDAs)
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A personal digital assistant (PDA), also known as
a palmtop computer, or personal data assistant, is
a mobile device that functions as a personal information
manager. Current PDAs often have the ability to connect to
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the Internet. A PDA has an electronic visual display,
enabling it to include a web browser, but some newer
models also have audio capabilities, enabling them to be
used as mobile phones or portable media players. Many
PDAs can access the Internet, intranets or extranets via Wi-
Fi or Wireless Wide Area Networks. Many PDAs employ
touch screen technology.
The first PDA was released in 1986 by Psion, the Organizer
II. Followed by Psion's Series 3, in 1991, which began to
resemble the more familiar PDA style. It also had a full
keyboard.
The term PDA was first used on January 7, 1992 by Apple
Computer CEO John Sculley at the Consumer Electronics
Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, referring to the Apple
Newton.
In 1996, Nokia introduced the first mobile phone with full
PDA functionality, the 9000 Communicator, which grew to
become the world's best-selling PDA. The Communicator
spawned a new category of mobile phones: the "PDA
phone", now called "Smartphone". Another early entrant in
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this market was Palm, with a line of PDA products which
began with the March 1996 Pilot 1000.
Today, almost all PDAs are smart phones. Over 150 million
smart phones are sold each year, while "stand-alone" PDAs
without phone functionality sell only about 3 million units
per year.
Typical Features
A typical PDA has a touch screen for entering data, a
memory card slot for data storage,
and IrDA, Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi. However, some PDAs
may not have a touch screen, using soft keys, a directional
pad, and a numeric keypad or a thumb keyboard for input;
this is typically seen on telephones that are incidentally
PDAs.
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In order to have the functions expected of a PDA, a
device's software typically includes an appointment
calendar, a to-do list, and an address book for contacts, a
calculator, and some sort of memo (or “note” program.
PDAs with wireless data connections also typically include
an email client and a Web browser.
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A Smartphone is a high-end mobile phone that combines
the functions of a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a
mobile phone. Today's models typically also serve
as portable media players and camera phones with high-
resolution touch screens, web browsers that can access and
properly display standard web pages rather than only
mobile-optimized sites, GPS navigation, Wi-Fi and mobile
broadband access. The term Smartphone is usually used to
describe phones with more advanced computing ability and
connectivity than a contemporary feature phone, although
the distinction can be vague and there is no official
definition for what constitutes the difference between them.
The definitions also shift over time since many phones that
are considered feature phones today can have capabilities
that exceed those of phones that had been promoted as
smart phones in the past.
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Smart phones run mobile operating systems such
as Apple's iOS, Google's Android, Microsoft's Windows
Phone, Nokia's Symbian, RIM's BlackBerry OS, and
embedded distributions such as Maemo and MeeGo.
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Such systems can be installed on many different phone
models, and typically each device can receive multiple OS
software updates over its lifetime. Smart phones run third-
party applications using advanced application programming
interfaces (APIs), which can allow those applications to
have better integration with the phone's OS and hardware
than is typical with feature phones. In comparison, feature
phones more commonly run on proprietary firmware, with
third-party software support through platforms such as Java
ME or BREW.
Smart Phone Market Share
Growth in demand for advanced mobile devices boasting
powerful processors and graphics processing units,
abundant storage (flash memory) for applications and
media files, high-resolution screens with multi-touch
capability, and open operating systems has outpaced the
rest of the mobile phone market for several years.
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According to an early 2010 study by ComScore, over 45.5
million people in the United States owned smart phones out
of 234 million total subscribers. Despite the large increase
in Smartphone sales in the last few years, Smartphone
shipments only made up 20% of total handset shipments as
of the first half of 2010.
According to Gartner in their report dated November 2010,
total Smartphone sales doubled in one year and now smart
phones represent 19.3 percent of total mobile phone sales.
Smartphone sales increased in 2010 by 72.1 percent from
the prior year, whereas sales for all mobile phones only
increased by 31.8 percent.
According to an Olswang report in early 2011, the rate of
Smartphone adoption is accelerating: as of March 2011
22% of UK consumers had a Smartphone, with this
percentage rising to 31% amongst 24–35-year-olds.
In March 2011, Berg Insight reported data that showed
global Smartphone shipments increased 74% from 2009 to
2010.
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Operating System Market Share
2010 saw the rapid rise of the Google Android operating
system from 4 percent of new deployments in 2009 to 33
percent at the beginning of 2011 making it share the top
position with the since long dominating Symbian OS. The
smaller rivals include US popular Blackberry OS, iOS,
Samsung's recently introduced bada, HP's heir of Palm
Pilot webOS and the Microsoft Windows Phone OS seeing
a possible revival through an alliance with Nokia.
Over late 2009 and 2010 Android's Smartphone operating
system market share increased very rapidly. In the fourth
quarter of 2010, Android surpassed Symbian as the most
common operating system in smart phones, with 32.9
million units sold versus 31.0 million. Android-equipped
phones sold seven times more than in the prior year
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.According to Canalys, Google's Android operating system,
which is offered to phone makers for free, has raced to the
top past operating systems by Nokia, Apple, RIM, and
Microsoft. In Q1 2011 Google's Android market share was
35 percent, increasing significantly from 10 percent the
previous year, while Nokia's Symbian dropped to 26
percent from 46 percent over the same time period.
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Tablet PCs
A tablet computer, or simply tablet, is a complete mobile
computer, larger than a mobile phone or personal digital
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assistant, integrated into a flat touch screen and primarily
operated by touching the screen. It often uses an
onscreen virtual keyboard, a passive stylus pen, or a digital
pen, rather than a physical keyboard.
During the 2000s Microsoft attempted to define the tablet
personal computer (tablet PC) product concept as a mobile
computer for field work in business, though their devices
failed to achieve widespread usage due mainly to price and
usability problems that made them unsuitable outside of
their limited intended purpose.
In April 2010 Apple Inc. released the iPad, a tablet
computer with an emphasis on media consumption. The
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shift in purpose, together with increased usability, battery
life, simplicity, lower weight and cost, and overall quality
with respect to previous tablets, was perceived as defining a
new class of consumer device and shaped the commercial
market for tablets in the following year.
The term may also apply to a variety of form factors that
differ in position of the screen with respect to a keyboard.
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The standard form is called slate, which does not have an
integrated keyboard but may be connected to one with
a wireless link or a USB port. Convertible notebook
computers have an integrated keyboard that can be hidden
by a swivel joint or slide joint, exposing only the screen for
touch operation. Hybrids have a detachable keyboard so
that the touch screen can be used as a stand-alone
tablet. Booklets include two touch screens, and can be used
as a notebook by displaying a virtual keyboard in one of
them.
AAKASH
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As tablet PCs, have been discussed in the project study, it
may be desirable to mention about AAKASH – the Indian
breakthrough in the market of tablet PCs.
Aakash is an Android-based tablet computer designed and
developed by Data Wind primarily as a platform for audio-
visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music,
games, and web content.
It is manufactured in India as a low cost but full
functioning device in order to attempt to bridge the digital
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divide. The commercial version of the tablet will be retailed
under the brand name UbiSlate 7.
The original prototype was unveiled in 2010, purported as a
"$35 laptop". The device was formally launched on 5
October 2011 as Aakash, made by the London-based
manufacturing company Data Wind. Aakash will be
assembled at Data Wind’s new production centre in the
southern city of Hyderabad. Initially, the device will be
sold to the Government of India at $50. It is expected to be
sold for $60 in the retail stores.
The device has been developed as part of the National
Mission on Education through Information and
Communication Technology that aims to link 25,000
colleges and 400 universities on the subcontinent in an e-
learning program via an existing Sakshat portal.
Features of a Tablet PC
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Touch User Interface - A key and common
component among tablet computers is touch input.
This allows the user to navigate easily and intuitively
and type with a virtual keyboard on the screen.
Handwriting Recognition - Because tablet
personal computers normally use a stylus, they quite
often implement handwriting recognition, while other
tablet computers with finger driven screens do not.
Finger driven screens however are potentially better
suited for inputting "variable width stroke based"
characters, like Chinese/Japanese/Korean writing, due
to their built in capability of "pressure sensing".
However at the moment not much of this potential is
already used, and as a result even on tablet computers
Chinese users often use a (virtual) keyboard for input.
Accelerometer - An accelerometer is a unit that
detects the physical movements of the tablet. This
allows greater flexibility of use since tablets do not
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necessarily have a fixed direction of use. The
accelerometer can also be used to detect
the orientation of the tablet relative to the center of the
earth, but can also detect movement of the tablet, both
of which can be used as an alternative control
interface for a tablet's software.
Ambient light and proximity sensors are
additional "senses", that can provide controlling input
for the tablet.
Storage Drive - Large tablets use storage drives
similar to laptops, while smaller ones tend to use
drives similar to MP3 Players or have on-board flash
memory. They also often have ports for removable
storage such as Secure Digital cards. Due to the nature
of the use of tablets, solid-state memory is often
preferable due to its better resistance to damage during
movement.
Comparison with Laptops
The advantages and disadvantages of tablet computers are
highly subjective measures. What appeals to one user may
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be exactly what disappoints another. The following are
commonly cited opinions of tablet computers versus
laptops.
Advantages of Tablet PC
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Usage in environments not conducive to a keyboard
and mouse such as lying in bed, standing, or handling
with a single hand.
Lighter weight, lower power models can function
similarly to dedicated reading devices like
the Amazon Kindle.
Touch environment makes navigation easier than
conventional use of keyboard and mouse or touch pad
in certain contexts such as image manipulation,
musical, or mouse oriented games.
Digital painting and image editing are more precise
and intuitive than painting or sketching with a mouse.
The ability for easier or faster entry of diagrams,
mathematical notations, and symbols.
Allows, with the proper software, universal input,
independent from different keyboard localizations.
Disadvantages of Tablet PC
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Higher price – convertible tablet computers can cost
significantly more than non-tablet portable PCs
although this premium has been predicted to fall.
Input speed – handwriting or typing on a virtual
keyboard can be significantly slower than typing
speed on a conventional keyboard, the latter of which
can be as high as 50–150 WPM.
Weaker video capabilities – Most tablet computers
are equipped with embedded graphics processors
instead of discrete graphics cards. In July 2010, the
only tablet PC with a discrete graphics card was
the HP Touch Smart tm2t, which has the ATI Mobility
Radeon HD5450 as an optional extra.
Screen risk – Tablet computers are handled more than
conventional laptops, yet many are built on similar
frames; in addition, since their screens also serve as
input devices, they run a higher risk of screen damage
from impacts and misuse.
CONCLUSION
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At the end of this project, I would like to conclude that the
way innovations are being done in developing computing
devices; even sky is not the limit for research and
development department of various companies engaged in
this field.
In this project, we saw how the different computing devices
have moved from the desks of our home to the palm of our
hands but this is not the end, who knows that today they are
in our hands but in future they might be embedded into our
bodies.
All we can do is
WAIT, WATCH AND ENJOY!
BIBLIOGRAPHY- 42 -
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Web
1. www.wikipedia.org
2. www.google.com
3. www.engadget.com
Newspapers
1. The Times Of India
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