What is a mobile computer
A mobile computer is a wireless device that has the ability to video/voice call, picture sharing, and other types of data sharing. You can use the mobile computer while moving and travelling in a car, aeroplane, train, or motorbike. Mobile computer can be either of the smartphone, tablet, laptop, smartwatch, or any other wireless portable device by which you can communicate with other people.
For sharing data with other mobile computers you will need a Wi-Fi connection, mobile data signals, GSM, or Bluetooth.
Some pros and cons of mobile computers are discussed below:-
Advantages of mobile computers
Portable:
You can use your device while walking or sleeping in your room. If you are travelling in a car then you can still make live video and share with your friends on social media. You can also live steam at any concert using your mobile device.
Better time management:
By using a mobile device or tablet PC you can install any time tracking app by which that app can better manage your time. There are many apps available that can help you organize yourself. Some apps block some social apps that waste your time. You can organize your time and focus on things that matter to you.
Track your budget:
I use one app named “MoneyLover”. This is a nice app and it helps me in saving my money and other expenses I do in a day. There are plenty of other apps by which you can track your daily expenses. In these apps, you can have the option of making your virtual wallet also. You can save money and list in your virtual wallet and this will help you know how much money you have saved in a day or month.
Listen to music/radio:
You can also listen to your favourite music, TV show, or radio. There are many apps e.g. YouTube, TikTok, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Twitch, Veoh, Metacafe and others.
Live Streaming with friends:
You can live stream with your friends and family members by using mobile computers. Some popular apps that can help you live stream are Facebook, Liveme, Bigo, Instagram, and others.
Find any location:
If you are in an unknown place and want to find any location then it is easy with a mobile device. In every mobile, there is a GPS feature enabled by which you can find any location. You can use Google maps and go to any location you want. But you should have an internet connection enabled in your mobile to use Google maps.
Identify high traffic:
By using Google maps you can find the traffic on road also. If any road has high traffic then you can take any other road for your travelling.
Expand your business:
You can do business by using mobile device also. You can run Facebook ads, manage Facebook business pages or any other social activity you can do on your mobile. If you have cameras in your company then you can monitor the performance of your employee’s right from your mobile.
Cloud computing:
If you want to save any documents that you want to access on your workstation PC then it is easy now. You can use Dropbox, Microsoft one drive or Google drive to save your important documents or pictures and later you can access these documents from any device.
Checking weather and stock market:
If you have any plan to go on the trip then checking the weather is very important. By using a mobile computer you can check the weather easily. If you are stockbroker then checking stock prices is necessary. You can also trade your stocks while using your mobile device.
Bluetooth support:
You can connect different devices via Bluetooth. If your desktop PC has Bluetooth support then you can also connect your mobile device with it and share your documents. Every smartphone and tablet has Bluetooth support by which you can share your photos or any other files free of cost. You have to first pair up devices and then start sharing documents.
Interview:
If you don’t have a webcam attached to your PC then you can use your mobile camera when needed also. I am recently given an interview in a company by using my mobile device. The interview goes well and I had no problem in the interview.
Doing research:
Students and teachers can do their research online by using mobile computing. There are many websites like Quora, Stackoverflow, Google scholars, and Google search. If the user has an internet connection to his device then he/she can research his studies and consume time in a better way. There is no restriction of time. Information is available on the internet 24 hours a day and they can also make notes and publish research while using mobile computing.
Easy to carry:
You can carry your mobile computer very easily. You can keep in your pocket or bag also. It is also lightweight than office computer. You can do your office work like checking spreadsheet, emails or any chats from your clients.
High processor and RAM:
The latest mobile devices like tablet PC comes with a high-performance processor and RAM. You can enjoy playing high graphics games. Sharing your camera with your friends and family members is also done via your tablet. You can video chat with your large screen of the tablet and other guys can also video/voice chat with you by using their mobile devices.
Pay bills online:
You can also pay bills online using your mobile device. Whether it is electricity bill, telephone bill, or water bill you can pay it online. You can install your bank app or any other app that gives you the facility to pay bills from your mobile. So going to any bank for paying bills is not required. You can pay bills easily from your home by using mobile computing.
Shop online:
If you have the mood to eat pizza then you can order pizza online from your mobile. But you must have a debit/credit card to do online shopping. There are many apps available like amazon, AliExpress and many others.
Apply for jobs:
Mobile computing also helps with job searching. Users can apply for jobs while using mobile devices. There are many platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Indeed etc. Job seekers can search for jobs by using a mobile computer and apply online to jobs as well. There are many other freelancing sites also like Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer, Guru, Peopleperhour. You can apply to jobs by using your mobile device. You can also chat with your clients on your mobile computer.
Online consultancy:
You can get online consultancy from your doctor or tutor by using videos calling service. Many video training websites give their apps to users also. For example, Lynda, Udemy, YouTube, Coursera, Khan Academy and many others give training online. You can learn many skills from these websites by using their apps from your mobile device like a tablet.
Calculator and flashlight:
You have a feature of the calculator in your mobile device that you can use anytime. Also if you are in a dark room then you can turn on your flashlight of mobile.
Disadvantages of mobile computers
Connectivity issues:
You have to connect to the internet for using any apps and it needs Wi-Fi or mobile data connectivity. If you are in a location where mobile signals are weak then it creates a problem. Also, bad weather can disconnect you from the internet. Your mobile will also be billed/charged if you want to use the internet on your device.
Battery problem:
All the mobile devices use a battery for charging your device. If you have no place to charge mobile battery i.e. you are away from home then it creates a problem. You cannot use your mobile device if your battery is not charged.
VPN Support:
Mobile devices also have a feature to connect to a virtual private network (VPN). By using a VPN you can hide your identity and use the internet anonymously. One benefit of a VPN is that you can also access the websites that are blocked in your country. For example, if Tiktok app is blocked in your country and you want to entertain yourself then you can connect VPN and get access to Tiktok app.
Security:
If you are connected to the internet then you are unsafe in the sense that your data can be stolen. Some apps can track your location and search terms you use on different websites. If you use your credit/debit cards online then your money is also on risk. Hackers can hack your mobile/tablet/laptop and get your confidential data from your device. So it is better to not store any of your bank details, credit/debit card details on your mobile.
Scan bar code:
Some software may need bar code verification. Your mobile camera can detect bar code as well. For example, connecting your WhatsApp with web client needs a bar code type of identification. You can also check bar code in stores as well.
Protection:
As mobile devices are costly you they have chances to be stolen. They also have chances to fell from your hand due to small size. Some smartphone and tablets are so costly that you feel unsafe to use them in public places.
Training needed:
Using mobile computers for newcomers is challenging. So newcomer needs to get training of using a mobile device or using any app on the mobile. Uneducated people have much higher difficulty in using mobile computers.
Bandwidth usage:
Some apps in mobile devices use a lot of data bandwidth. For example, YouTube and other video streaming apps can consume high bandwidth. This will in effect increase your monthly mobile bills. There are some apps as well which can track the usage of your data bandwidth and you can stop using high bandwidth-consuming apps.
Health problem:
If you use mobile computing regularly then your eye problem may occur. Also, you may get depression, lazy mind, and cancer problem as well if you use the mobile for a long period. You may also get the problem of isolating yourself from other people.
Examples of mobile computers
- Smartphones
- Tablet PC
- Smartwatch
- Gaming consoles
- E-readers
- Laptops
