THE FUTURE OF LAPTOP AND TABLET Computer

A PROJECT REPORT

Submitted by Chethan J A (PGDM-IB/05/11/04) Neeraj Sharma (PGDM-IB/05/11/09) Prasanna Venkatesh (PGDM-IB/05/11/13)

Submitted to

Prof. Rupesh Kumar Sinha

B.Sc. (Bot Hons), GNIIT, MCP, PGDCA, M.Sc. (comp. Sc.)

Electronic City Bangalore Sl # Contents

Introduction to Laptop

History of Laptop

3 Introduction to Tablet Computer

History of Tablet Computer

Technical features of Tablet Computer

Laptop vs. Tablet Computer

Conclusion

Reference

Laptop
Introduction:
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 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 became larger and of better quality, laptops became very widely used for all sorts of purposes.

History:
As the personal computer became feasible in the early 1970s, the idea of a portable personal computer followed. A "personal, portable information manipulator" was imagined by Alan Kay at Xerox PARC in 1968, and described in his 1972 paper as the "Dynabook". The IBM SCAMP project (Special Computer APL Machine Portable), was demonstrated in 1973. This prototype was based on the PALM processor (Put All Logic In Microcode). The IBM 5100, the first commercially available portable computer, appeared in September 1975, and was based on the SCAMP prototype. As 8-bit CPU machines became widely accepted, the number of portables increased rapidly. The Osborne 1, released in 1981, used the Zilog Z80 and weighed 23.6 pounds (10.7 kg). It had no battery, a 5 in (13 cm) CRT screen, and dual 5.25 in (13.3 cm) single-density floppy drives. In the same year the first laptop-sized portable computer, the Epson HX-20, was announced. The Epson had a LCD screen, a rechargeable battery, and a calculator-size printer in a 1.6 kg (3.5 lb) chassis. Both Tandy/RadioShack and HP also produced portable computers of varying designs during this period.

The first laptops using the flip form factor appeared in the early 1980s. The Dulmont Magnum was released in Australia in 198182, but was not marketed internationally until 1984 85. The $8,150 ($18,540 today) GRiD Compass 1100, released in 1982, was used at NASA and by the military among others. TheGavilan SC, released in 1983, was the first computer described as a "laptop" by its manufacturer. From 1983 onward, several new input techniques were developed and included in laptops, including the touchpad (Gavilan SC, 1983), the pointing stick (IBM ThinkPad 700, 1992) and handwriting recognition (Linus Write-Top, 1987). Some CPUs, such as the 1990 Intel i386SL, were designed to use minimum power to increase battery life of portable computers, and were supported by dynamic power management features such as Intel SpeedStep and AMD Power Now! in some designs. Displays reached VGA resolution by 1988 (Compaq SLT/286), and colour screens started becoming a common upgrade in 1991 with increases in resolution and screen size occurring frequently until the introduction of 17"-screen laptops in 2003. Hard drives started to be used in portables, encouraged by the introduction of 3.5" drives in the late 1980s, and became common in laptops starting with the introduction of 2.5" and smaller drives around 1990; capacities have typically lagged behind physically larger desktop drives. Optical storage, read-only CDROM followed by writeable CD and later read-only or writeable DVD and Blu-Ray, became common in laptops soon in the 2000s.

Tablet Computer Introduction:

A tablet computer, or a tablet, is a mobile computer, larger than a mobile phone or personal digital assistant, integrated into a flat touch screen and primarily operated by touching the screen rather than using a physical keyboard. It often uses an onscreen virtual keyboard, a passive stylus pen, or a digital pen. Tablet PC is a portable computing device which looks much like a detached screen from a conventional notebook computer, or perhaps a hand-held computer that's been scaled up.

History:
The tablet computer and the associated special operating software is an example of pen computing technology, and thus the development of tablets has deep historical roots. Electrical devices with data input and output on a flat information display have existed as early as 1888. Throughout the 20th century many devices with these characteristics have been ideated and created whether as blueprints, prototypes or commercial products, with the Dynabook concept in 1968 being a spiritual precursor of tablets and laptops. In addition to many academic and research systems, there were several companies with commercial products in the 1980s During the 2000s Microsoft attempted to define with the Microsoft Tablet PC the tablet personal computer product concept as a mobile computer for field work in business, though their devices failed to achieve widespread usage mainly due 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 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.

As a result, two distinctly different types of tablet computing devices exist as of 2011, the Tablet PC and the Post-PC tablet, whose operating systems are of different origin.

Traditional tablet PCs

A tablet personal computer (tablet PC) is a portable personal computer equipped with a touch screen as a primary input device, and running a (modified) classic desktop OS. designed to be operated and owned by an individual. The term was made popular as a concept presented by Microsoft in 2000 and 2001 but tablet PCs now refer to any tablet-sized personal computer regardless of the (desktop) operating system Tablet personal computers are mainly based on the x86 IBM-PC architecture and are fully functional personal computers employing a slightly modified personal computer OS (such as Windows orUbuntu Linux) supporting their touch-screen, instead of a traditional display, mouse and keyboard. A typical tablet personal computer needs to be stylus driven, because operating the typical desktop based OS requires a high precision to select GUI widgets, such as a the close window button.

"Post-PC" tablets
Since mid-2010, new tablet computers have been introduced with mobile operating systems that forgo the Wintel paradigm, have a different interface instead of the traditional desktop OS, and represent a new type of computing device. These "post-PC" mobile OS tablet computer devices are normally finger driven and most frequently use capacitive touch screens with multi-touch capabilities instead of the simple resistive touch screens of typical stylus driven systems. The most successful of these was the Apple iPad using the iOS operating system. Samsung's Galaxy Tab and others followed, continuing the now common trends towards multi-touch and other natural features, as well as flash memory solid-state storage drives and "instant on" warm-boot times; in addition, standard external USB and Bluetooth keyboards can often be used. Most frequently the operating system running a tablet computer that's not based on the traditional PC architecture is based on a Unix-like OS, such as Darwin, Linux or QNX. Some have 3G mobile telephony capabilities.

In forgoing the x86 precondition (a requisite of Windows compatibility), most tablet computers released since mid-2010 use a version of an ARM architecture processor for longer battery life versus battery weight, heretofore used in portable equipment such as MP3 players and cell phones. Especially with the introduction of the ARM Cortex family, this architecture is now powerful enough for tasks such as internet browsing, light production work and gaming. A significant trait of tablet computers not based on the traditional PC architecture is that the main source of 3rd party software for these devices tends to be through online distribution, rather than more traditional methods of boxed software or direct sales from software vendors. These sources, known as "app stores," provide centralized catalogues of software from both 1st and 3rd parties and allow simple "one click" on-device software purchasing, installation, and updates.

Technical features
As a quasi-hybrid of laptop and palmtop computers, the Tablet PC owes much to those earlier technologies. One of the key advances that made the Tablet PC possible is the development of ultra-low power microprocessor chips by companies such as Transmeta and Intel. Another standard feature of the Tablet PC, handwriting recognition, first made its appearance in the Apple Newton palmtop computer. The moderately high resolution colours screen is suited for use with a video projector, and the large amount of on-board storage (20-60 GB or more) means that even a complicated multimedia presentation can be loaded into a Tablet without the risk of running out of space. Tablet PCs mostly work with graphical images ("ink" in Tablet jargon) rather than ASCII text. This is very convenient for creating with a stylus, but could pose problems if (e.g.) an "ink" document were emailed to someone on a slow dialup connection. Almost all Tablet PCs either come with wireless networking built in, or can be upgraded to have that capability. Standard ports, such as USB and/or Firewire, are available on most models. Tablet PCs are priced similarly to high-end notebook computers. The machines are typically in the $2,000 to $3,000 price range, although there are a few low-end models around $1000.

One Tablet PC manufacturer, RM, has announced models aimed specifically at the academic market. An interesting feature of RM's "instructor" model is built-in fingerprint identification. This might be useful for an instructor who needs to carry confidental information (grades, exams, research data, etc.) on the Tablets.

Many Tablet PCs use the Transmeta Crusoe chip. This processor, while not as fast as those in a high-end desktop machine, offers the advantage of greatly extended battery life. A Crusoe chip uses only 1 to 2 watts of power maximum, compared to 75 watts or more for a desktop CPU, and around 10 watts for a notebook CPU. Intel has also produced a line of low power consumption chips, the Mobile Pentium series. These are used in several Tablet PCs. Direct comparison of power consumption between the Transmeta and Intel offerings is difficult, since Intel quotes average power consumption figures, while the Transmeta figures are for peak consumption.

Some advantages of a longer battery life are obvious. A less-obvious factor is that batteries are both heavy and expensive. By making it possible to use a smaller battery for the same working time, the Transmeta-style chips help lower both the weight and the cost of the Tablet PC.

The Intel chips are essentially low-powered versions of their standard CPUs. The Transmeta Crusoe chip offers several technological advantages, some of which may play an important role in future Tablet PC software. Though most current Tablet PCs run a variant of the Microsoft Windows operating system (written for Intel 80x86-compatible microprocessors) the Crusoe is not an 80x86 chip at all. The Crusoe uses a technology called Code Morphing to translate the 80x86 instructions into its own instruction set. Emulators, as such, have been around for a long time (most Mac users are familiar with Virtual PC, a software package that allows them to run Windows on the Macintosh) but the Crusoe takes this idea one step further. Rather than translating each 80x 86 instructions every time it is encountered, as in a conventional emulator, the Code Morphing technology can take entire groups of instructions and translate them into Crusoe native instructions the first time they're encountered, then save the result. The next time that section of code is run it executes at the full native speed of the Crusoe processor without needing to be translated a second time.

Future Technology
It's reasonable to assume that Tablet PCs will become lighter, more powerful, and less expensive as time goes on. It may be, however, that the real usability gains come through integration. The integrated features that are now available in cell phones (such as digital cameras) would seem to be ideal for adding into the Tablet PC, since they operate under similar constraints of size and power consumption. Perhaps the cell phone itself could be integrated.

Though Tablet PCs are much more compact than a desktop machine, or even a laptop, the constraint of screen size would seem to pose a limit on miniaturization. However, several research groups (both academic and corporate) are working on flexible, "roll-up" displays. If these become available, the Tablet PC could become as convenient to carry as a paperback book.

Laptop Vs Tablet Computer

When laptops entered the computer market, everyone wanted one of these small devices for computing on the go. Laptops received a lot of hype because of their portability and their ease of use. This new technology took the computing world by storm and dominated the portable computer scene until a new device entered the market: the TABLET. This device offers several of the same features as laptops but with added portability. Some individuals may feel this is the new way to compute and they cant live without their tablet, whereas others say laptops can never be replaced.

A look at the advantages and disadvantages of each device to help you decide which will best fit you and your needs.

Advantages of laptops over tablets

Laptops are more robust

It cannot be denied that laptops are far more robust than tablets. Sure, tablets are portable and can be protected in a protective case, but even so, tablets (especially the screen) are more vulnerable to damages.

Tablets can easily be lost

With its small size, tablets can be easily lost, and if stolen, the owner may not even be aware. Losing a laptop will immediately be known.

Storage, Processor
Users using the iPad2 have noticed that the storage capacity is quickly filled up, and there dont

seem to have any announcement for having SD card for extra storage. Laptops have more storage capacity. When it comes to processors, it is too obvious. The processors available on laptops are far better than those of laptops. And it is known that the number of simultaneous tasks that can be done is REALLY one or two.

Less privacy with tablets

Privacy is a very important issue for most people, and thats quite a problem with the tablet. When reading anything on tablets, anyone behind you can easily take a peek at what you are doing. This problem can be prevented with a laptop with the back of the screen to prevent other people from the front to look at what you are doing.

More supports on laptops

Laptops have far more supports and connections than tablets. You may find HDMI, Bluetooth, and wireless support on tablets, and some tablets do not even support USB 2.0 ports. Laptops, in addition to supporting the above features, even have USB 3.0 ports (this is far faster than USB 2.0), eSATA for adding solid-state drives, DVI or VGA for external displays, and many more Touch screens also have many limitations and drain battery life more rapidly. Tablets lack many features like optical drives, built-in surround sounds, a well-positioned webcam, keyboard, and others.

Bugs and problems

The best operating system for tablets right now is undoubtedly Android Honeycomb, which is still version 1, unlike Windows and other operating systems like Mac, which are debugged and improved. Honeycomb has a long way for these processes. Now with laptops, choice is smaller and normally between Windows and Mac.Tablets also work wonders only when on online, and is of very little news offline. So, even if they are more portable, they still require the internet connections for the proper use.

Edit media options, applications

Laptops have more editing options for media, with the proper program installed, than tablets which are restricted to a very few options that do not even match those available on laptops. This is not limited to media software only. Though Apple has many applications, Windows and other operating systems are no different, but in fact, provide a far wider range of applications. Theres also more programs like Excel and others, with full compatibility, which is not the case for tablets. Tablets cannot support the full media rich content of the internet and web pages, but have a restricted view, and sometimes, do not even support some features. It seems that IPad do not support some flash content too, thus, limiting content display.

Laptops are cheaper and can be upgraded

Tablets are much more expensive than laptops for the good features. Additionally, most laptops can be easily upgraded for better performance. If your laptop is lagging, RAM can be purchased to increase speed. This also applies to storage capacity and other laptop parts such as batteries

Few reasons to buy a tablet and a few reasons not to.

Tablets make great e-readers.
Although many would complain that the reading experience isnt nearly as focused as singlepurpose e-ink devices, and the text isnt as legible, these drawbacks havent stopped users from cracking open PDF, comics, long web articles, and so on tablets. Plus kids books are fun in full color, something Kindle cant yet beat.

Tablets are portable productivity stations.

Theres nothing like a calendar and an email window on a big screen. Although many of our phones now run PIM applications, the real estate afforded by a tablet makes for a far superior experience.

Tablets are better than older laptops.

If we dont need to type a lot, tablets will handle more content than a two-year-old laptop and there are more modern apps and games.

Tablets are great for meetings.

While you should probably paying attention during meetings, tablets are a great way to take notes unobtrusively and, when things get boring, play Angry Birds on mute.

Tablets are great for sharing photos and 1-on-1 presentations.

Tablets are excellent for a communal photo sharing experience and are a boon for insurance adjusters, real estate folks, and salespeople. Having everything in front of you in cool little device sure beats firing up a laptop and running a presentation.

Tablets dont crash.

Or at least when they do crash its not a big deal. A quick restart is is all it takes to get them back on track.

Tablets are good for travel.

Tablets usually work with Wi-Fi and 3G networks and the large screen and storage space is great for maps, guides, and dictionaries.

And now Reasons Tablets Arent Ready

Are tablets as portable as the phone you already have?

We can stick your phone in your pocket and never know its there, but can we do the same with an iPad or Touchpad? Its as portable as my handy little Android (or whatever) phone when its patently not.

How much work can you do on one of these things?

Do we run Photoshop? How long will it take to render video? My guess is that my desktop PC, with its over clocked (to 4.0GHz) quad-core processor and hundreds of gigabytes of free space, will be able to render a video 800 times in succession before a tablet can render a video just once.

Something better will come along in a few months.

Remember when net books were all the rage a couple of years ago? The future of computing, and so forth. You barely see them mentioned anymore, and thats because tablets are the new soup du jour. In four years well all be writing Remember tablets? articles, lamenting having spent all that money on a silly piece of transitionary technology.

Conclusion
Tablet PCs offer some unique abilities for instructional use. The portability, pen-based input, low power consumption, and optional portrait screen format may make it possible to present material in new ways. As always, these new capabilities come at a price: the Tablets are expensive. Tablets are generally more expensive than laptops. Usually, a tablet is 100-200 dollars more expensive than a decent laptop. This is why the decision of buying a laptop or a tablet should not be made because of the price Gadget that can be transported very easily, which can be booted right away to browse the internet or to play elementary games like Angry Birds, then a tablet is ideal . A tablet is mostly use for entertainment and relaxation. Still, for day to day activity, which involves the use of professional programs, including office applications, you will need the processing power of a laptop. Furthermore, a laptop allows you to watch HD movies on a bigger screen.

References

Wikipedia.org Mediastory.com Apple.com Dell.com