Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
The Coca-Cola field salesforce uses a Pocket PC (a handheld computer that runs the
Microsoft Windows Mobile operating system) to automate the collection of information
about sales calls, customers, and prospects. They chose a Pocket PC over a laptop because of
the cost savings and because it is easier to point and click using radio buttons and drop-down
menus on the Pocket PC than to fumble with a keyboard and mouse on a much heavier
laptop.
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The Nokia 770 Internet Tablet is
designed for wireless Internet
browsing and electronic mail, and
includes software such as Internet
radio, an RSS news reader, and
audio and video players.
(Source: Courtesy of Nokia.)
An ultra laptop is a laptop computer weighing less than 3 pounds (1.4 kg) and is usually
targeted for use by business travelers. Such laptops typically have a screen that measures
12 inches (30 cm) or less diagonally with a less than full-size keyboard. Many ultra laptops
come with extended battery life and energy-efficient CPUs. Popular ultra laptop computers
include the Fujitsu Lifebook Q2010, Lenovo ThinkPad X60, Sony VAIO VGN-TXN15P,
Samsung Q1 Ultra, and Apple MacBook Air. See Figure 3.16. The Q1 uses tablet PC tech-
nology with a built-in keyboard and can accept handwritten notes on its computer screen.
These devices cost between $700 and $2,250 as of January 2008.
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Figure 3.16
The MacBook Air
The MacBook Air is an ultraportable
laptop that measures 0.76 inches
deep at the back and tapers down to
0.16 inches at the front. It weighs
3 pounds and includes a 13-inch LED
screen and full-size keyboard.
(Source: Courtesy of Apple.)
Tablet PCs
(introduced earlier) are portable, lightweight computers that allow you to
roam the office, home, or factory floor carrying the device like a clipboard. Recall that you
can enter text with a writing stylus directly on the screen thanks to built-in handwriting
recognition software. Other input methods might include an on-screen (virtual) keyboard,
speech recognition, or a physical keyboard. Tablet PCs that only support input via a writing
stylus are called
slates
. The
convertible tablet PC
comes with a swivel screen and can be used
as a traditional notebook or as a pen-based tablet PC.
Tablet computers are especially popular and useful in the healthcare, retail, insurance,
and manufacturing industries because of their versatility. DT Research provides portable
tablet personal computers that come with optional input devices including an integrated bar-
code scanner, a card reader, and a camera. The bar-code scanner can capture data from retail,
patient, or shipping labels. The card reader can capture data from any card with a magnetic
stripe, such as a credit card or driver's license. These devices capture data quickly and accu-
