Chapter 1
Mobile Computing
Prepared by: Fikirte G
3/28/2025
Chapter Outline
• Definition
• Trends of computing
• Mobile devices
• Mobile computing issues & Challenges
• Mobile computing applications & platforms
• Mobile OS
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P
Projection keyboard
Andriod
The iphone
Mobile Computing
•
MyVu Portable projectors
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The iPad
What is computing?
The activity of performing computations.
OR
Computing can also be defined as the activity of
using computer hardware and software for
some purpose .
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Computing Trend
Size
Number One Computer for One
Person
One Computer for Many Many Computer for One
People (PC Computing) Person
(Mainframe Computing) (Pervasive Computing)
1960’s 1980’s 2000’s
Existing computing paradigms
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Computing Paradigms…
What is Mobile Computing?
➢Mobile
✓ Able to move freely.
✓ usually Wireless is need to move freely .
➢ Computing
✓ The activity of performing computations.
✓A simple answer =>
• Performing computation in mobile units
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Mobile Computing
• Using:
– small size portable computers, hand-held and other
small wearable devices,
• To run stand-alone applications (or access
remote applications) via:
– wireless networks: IR, Bluetooth, W-LANs, Cellular, W-
Packet Data networks, SAT. etc.
• By:
– nomadic or mobile users (animals, agents, trains, cars,
cell phones, ….)
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Mobile Computing
➢Three basic components
✓ Networks: communication
✓ Devices and computing units :mobile
✓ Applications : Computation
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Computing Paradigms…
➢Pervasive/ Ubiquitous computing
✓is about the invisible and everywhere (every
time) computing
– Ubiquitous= “seeming to be in all places”
– Pervasive= “present or noticeable in every part of
a thing or place”
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Pervasive computing Example
• A simple example is the automatic
adjustment of heating, cooling and lighting
levels in a room based on an occupant’s
profile.
• refrigerators "aware" of their suitably tagged
contents, able to both plan a variety of menus
from the food actually on hand, and warn
users of stale or spoiled food.
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Pervasive computing
Characterized by :
✓Context Awareness (physical location, physiological
state, emotional state,….. distraction-free)
✓Ad-hoc Networks
✓Smart Spaces,(equipped with visual and audio sensing
systems )
✓Smart Sensors, Wearable…
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Mobile devices
• A mobile device (a.k.a. handheld device,
handheld computer) is a pocket-sized
computing device, typically having a display
screen with touch input or a miniature
keyboard.
• Due to the rapid advancement of the
technology its hard to make a specific
classifications of mobile devices.
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Different types of mobile devices
• Laptop
– Notebook
– Netbook
– Ultra-Mobile PC
• Communication devices
– pager
– Smartphone
– PDA &Pocket PC
– cell phone
– Cordless phone
• Tablet PC
• E-book readers
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Laptops, Notebook, & Netbooks
Laptops: 1991
Notebooks: 1996
Netbooks: 2006
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Mobile devices…
• Laptop in general
– is a small personal computer designed for
portability.
– Usually all of the interface hardware(ports,
graphics card, sound channel, etc.,) are built in to
a single unit.
– Contain batteries that can power the device for
some periods of time.
– upgrade is usually difficult/impossible. ( Keyboard
/ display)
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Laptop…
Notebook
• Screen -(10” and above)
• Purpose- (multi- purpose)
• Weight – (light)
• Computing power (high )
– heavy multi-tasking loads e.g. creating and
editing HD video or computer aided engineering
SWs.
– contain high capacity batteries.
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Communication devices…
• Pager
• Beeper
– because of the sound it made
• Voice Tone Pagers
– Recorded Voice message.
• Numeric Pagers
– can display up to twenty digits at a time.
• Alphanumeric Pagers
– modified versions of numeric pagers with
sophisticated display to accommodate text
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Communication devices…
• Two-way Alphanumeric pagers
– are alphanumeric pagers capable of both
sending & receiving text messages.
• Still used in
• emergency services fire & police stations.
• large hospital complex, where cellular coverage is
often weak or nonexistent
• Fancy Restaurant( waiting staff )
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Communication devices…
Mobile phone/cell phone
• Provides
– voice communications,
– Short Message Service (SMS),
– Multimedia Message Service (MMS),
• newer phones also provide
– Internet services
• Web browsing, instant messaging capabilities &
• e-mail.
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Communication devices…
PDA: Personal Digital Assistant
– designed primarily to provide the functionality of
maintaining appointments, tasks, contacts, etc.
– usually pen-based,(use a stylus rather than a keyboard
for input)
• Today PDAs function as a
– cellular phone, fax sender, Web browser and personal
organizer.
• Traditional PDAs have not had phone or fax
services
• Pocket PC: A type of PDA/smart phone which
runs Windows Mobile as its operating system.
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Communication devices…
Smart phone
• traditional PDA + cellular phone
– combines standard phone features,
such as making and receiving phone calls,
with computer functionality.
• Incorporates
– Wi-Fi access, email, calendars and
– GPS
• let you store information & install programs
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Communication devices…
• Cordless telephone
is a telephone with a wireless
handset that communicates
via radio wave with base station
connected to a fixed telephone line
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Mobile devices…
Tablet PC
– portable personal computer equipped with
a touch screen as a primary input device and
designed to be operated and owned by an
individual.
– use virtual keyboards and handwriting
recognition for text input through the touch
screen.
– Tablet PCs also can be connected to a full-size
keyboard and monitor
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Mobile computing application
• Transport
– position and tracking via GPS
– prevent accidents, navigation system.
– Tourist navigation
• Emergencies/ Disaster relief
– early transmission of patient data to the hospital,
current status, first diagnosis.
– earthquakes, hurricanes, fire etc.
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Mobile computing application…
• Business
– M-Commerce: mobile E-commerce /shopping …
– M-Banking: offer mobile access to financial and account
information.
– Advertising: using SMS is becoming very popular in our
country.
– Traveling salesperson
• Entertainment, education
– outdoor Internet access
– multi user games
– M-learning : E-learning
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Mobile computing application…
• Location aware
– find services in the local environment, e.g. printer
– nearest cash ATM/ shop / restaurant/hotel
• Web access & Communication
– outdoor Internet access
– Electronic Mail
– Chatting
• Application Services in general
– push: e.g., breaking news info
– pull: e.g., nearest cash ATM
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Comparison to Wired Net.
• Wired Networks • Mobile Networks
- high bandwidth - low bandwidth
- low bandwidth variability - high bandwidth variability
- can listen on wire - hidden terminal problem
- high power machines - low power machines
- high resource machines - low resource machines
- need physical - need proximity
access(security) - higher delay
- low delay - disconnected operation
- connected operation
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Mobile OS
• is the operating system that controls a mobile
device similar in principle to an operating
system such as Windows, Mac OS, or Linux
that controls a desktop computer or laptop.
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Types of Mobile OS
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Types of Mobile OS
• Symbian
– Market share(2010): 37.6%( #1 )
– License : open source
– Company: Nokia.
– CPU Architecture: ARM
– Programmed in: C++
– Application store: Symbian Horizon,Ovistore(10000+)
– Package manager: Nokia Ovi Suite
– Other: multi-touch, easily affordable cost
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Types of Mobile OS
• Android
– Market share(2010): 22.7%
– License : open source
– Company: Open Handset Alliance(Google).
– CPU Architecture: ARM, x86
– Programmed in: C, C++, Java
– Application store: Android market(100,000+)
– Package manager: APK
– Other: multi-touch, Linux
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Android (Google)
• Pros:
– Open source => accelerate pace of
innovation
– Manufacturer-independent => could help
accelerate consumer adoption
– Technology support (e.g., touchscreen,
GPS, accelerometer, video and still
cameras)
• Issues:
– Late to market relative to iPhone
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Types of Mobile OS
• BlackBerry RIM OS
– Market share(2010): 16.0%
– License : Proprietary
– Company: Research in motion (RIM).
– CPU Architecture: ARM
– Programmed in: Java
– Application store: Blackberry App World(30000+)
– Package manager: Blackberry Desktop Manager
– Other: not multi-touch, push email service
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Types of Mobile OS
• Apple iOS
– Market share(2010): 15.7%
– License : Proprietary
– Company: Apple.
– CPU Architecture: ARM
– Programmed in: C, C++, Objective-C
– Application store: Apple App Store(300,000+)
– Package manager: iTunes
– Other: Mac OS X, multi-touch, for iphone ,ipod touch
ipad, Apple Tv only
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Types of Mobile OS
• Windows Mobile
– Market share(2010): 4.2%
– License : Proprietary
– Company: Microsoft.
– CPU Architecture: ARM
– Programmed in: C++
– Application store: Windows Marketplace for Mobile
– Package manager: Windows Mobile Device Center/
ActiveSync
– Other: multi-touch, Windows CE
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Types of Mobile OS
• Others
– Palm OS- mobile operating system initially
developed by Palm
– webOS – Mobile operating system from HP/Palm
– Bada - Mobile operating system developed by
Samsung Electronics
– MeeGo OS – from Nokia and Intel (open source,
GPL)
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Mobile computing issues & Challenges
• Location issues
• Connection Quality
• Device limitations
• Active transaction
• Security risks
• Wide variety terminals and devices with
different capabilities
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Challenges
Location
– Device location is always changing
– Mobility: challenges and opportunities
– Localization & Location sensitivity
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Connection ….
• Quality of Service
– Wireless connection is used usually
– mobility means loss of network connectivity
reliability.
– Frequent Disconnection
– Variable Bandwidth( indoor , outdoor)
– Heterogeneous Networks (2G,3G, Satellite, wifi..
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Device limitation
• Device limitation
– Power
– Storage
– CPU
– user interface
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Device limitation …
• Mobile device are small!
– Physical limitation => Display , Memory, Cpu,
Power… limitations
– The heaviest part of mobile devices are batteries
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