Touch Screen Computers

Touch screen computers are the type of computers that have screens that can be touched to input information. Below the surface of their screens are a series of touch pad receptors that receive input every time the screen is touched. Touch screen technology like this first began to be developed in the 1970’s and it has gradually been advanced over time.

Microsoft Corporation first began to develop software for touch screen computers when they released their Surface operating system. This operating system was used primarily on table top applications and mostly in the commercial environment. Readers may recall seeing touch screen computers in use over the past decade in major restaurant chains when a receipt is being printed or when orders are being sent through to the kitchen. In recent years, Apple has propelled the advancement of touch screen technology by the development of the iPhone. The iPhone primarily receives input through its touch screen; no keyboard is required and neither is a stylus. Since the popularity of the iPhone, other mobile phone makers have begun to develop and make use of touch screen technology and it is now becoming more commonplace.

Using touch screen computers is in many ways is a lot easier than using a keyboard to input data and to generate commands. The keyboard is the traditional way of operating a computer and although it offers almost unhindered control over computers it also creates more bulk. Therefore most devices with keyboards tend to be bigger. Today’s consumer, however, is looking for smaller, slimmer devices that can be carried around with them, and that can be operated quickly with the most ease.

Fortunately, touch screen technology is extremely quick and it reduces the amount of equipment that computer users have to contend with. In the case of mobile computers, there is less to carry around. For manufacturers there is less to add to their devices. Less moving parts means less bulk and less to break. Due to the convenience of touch screen technology, most manufacturers of mobile devices are moving in the direction of touch screen technology only. The Apple iPhone is an example of this and definitely the forerunner of this trend.

A more recent development that will increase the popularity of touch screen computers is Microsoft’s Windows 7. The development of the Windows 7 operating system will most likely lead to more widespread use of touch screen technology. This is because Windows 7 has been developed with touch screen computers in mind. In fact, it is the first Windows operating system that Microsoft has focused attention on touch screen technology. The expected result is that many new touch screen devices will appear on the market with Windows 7 as their operating system of choice.

The Fastest Computer in the World (for now)!

Computers have grown from obscurity to being absolute must-have devices in the space of just half a century. In the 1950’s, computers were huge in size and they required the space of a complete room just to contain them. In those days, computers had many moving mechanical parts and they were noisy, clunky and slow. In the 50’s, it was really only the government and government-backed programs that had access to computers.

During the 1970’s the potential for computers began to be seen. Still, developers were years away from producing the computers that we now literally take for granted. Two key developments brought about the every day computer use that we experience today. One was the development of the microprocessor and the other was the development of the Windows operating system that suddenly made using a computer as easy as clicking on graphical icons. Prior to Windows, most computer users had to write text commands to make their computers do what they wanted.

The development of the microprocessor pretty much changed everything as far as computers were concerned. The microchip was revolutionary to the development of computers. They reduced the size of computers and increased their speeds. Since microprocessors were fairly inexpensive to make, they also reduced the cost of owning a computer. This allowed for the widespread use of computers both for commercial use, educational use and for the every day consumer. Today, computer manufacturers continue to work on increasing the speed of computers and reducing their size. Science labs all over the world experiment with different ways to accomplish more and more speed.

Currently, according to the LINPACK Benchmark standard, the largest and the fastest computer in the world is housed in Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. It has been developed by Cray, Inc. and it is called the Cray XT5 but nicknamed, ‘the Jaguar’. Measured against other computers using algebraic equations, this computer performs the fastest. It is said to have 1.75 petaflops of speed. It breaks all types of records and is the first computer to push the envelope, sustaining performance of over a petaflop on a 64-bit scientific application. Although that is a whole lot of tech talk, it basically means that this computer is extremely fast! It has 224,000 processing cores which allows the computer run at lightening speeds.

Currently, this high speed computer exists in a science lab only. However its development will ultimately trickle down to the every day consumer and effect the speed of future computer models. Huge amounts of money are invested in advancing every aspect of computer hardware and software. Up to now, we have seen extremely rapid advancements in computer technology not just with every passing decade but with every passing year… and things only seem to be speeding up.

2010 Technology Trends

2010 is upon us and unfortunately, the decade of the ‘noughties’ has passed quicker than any of us could have anticipated. I mean, wasn’t it just yesterday that we were scuttling around trying to protect ourselves and our computer systems from the Y2K Bug? Amazingly a complete decade has passed since the now laughable problems of Y2K. In that time, huge strides have been made in the area of electronic gadgets and technology, especially when it relates to the Internet. I have compiled a short list of technology trends that are expected to hit us in 2010. This is by no means an exhaustive list but a ‘things to look out for in 2010′ kind of list so read on:

Increased Use of Cloud Computing Technologies

Cloud computing is most likely a term that you have heard bandied about in magazines and technology programs. The average computer user will not know what it is, but basically it is a term that is used to describe a cloud of services that any business, person or entity might use to share information between people and computers. These services include things like data storage, computer power, file back ups, telephony, messaging and more.

In 2010, major tech companies plan to move forward with cloud computing initiatives and so it is very likely that businesses will also latch onto and make the most of what cloud computing can provide them. IBM, Cisco and EMC have all spoken publicly about boosting what they offer in the way of cloud computing.

A Switch from Netbooks to Smaller Mobile Devices

Netbooks skyrocketed in popularity over the past 3 or so years. Netbooks are said to be popular because of their mobility (they are extremely lightweight), their simplicity and the speed within which they can connect to the Internet. The downside to Netbooks, is that although quite small, they are not as portable as a PDA or mobile phone. 2010 is expected to introduce devices that will overtake Netbooks in popularity. These devices will be smaller than Netbooks yet slightly larger than PDAs. The Apple Tablet is one product that will be launched and various manufacturers are planning PC versions of the Apple Tablet.

The Availability of 3D Technology in the Home

Home entertainment manufacturers are planning to make 3D technology increasingly available in the home. An increasing number of 3D movies were released in 2009. These 3D movies will soon be offered on DVD and Blu-Ray for home audiences. Enjoying this technology and making the most of it will most likely require consumers to purchase 3D capable TV screens, along with the 3D versions of DVDs. Keeping up with this trend will require a considerable financial investment, so only you and your family can decide whether it’s worth it.

iPhone vs Android

The iPhone and the G1 phone (with Android operating system) are two mobile phones that have grown rapidly in popularity as well as in rivalry over recent years. The phones are similar to one another in that they push the envelope of mobile and touch screen technology. Both phones offer users not only the ability to make phone calls on the go, but also to make use of a host of useful applications and other features on their mobile phones.

The iPhone and its operating system has been available for a few years now and was developed and launched by Apple, Inc. The Android operating system on the other hand was developed by Google. Google then worked closely with High Tech Computer Corporation (HTCC) to develop the actual G1 phone and it’s hardware.

When it comes to priorities in development, mobile technology continues to be given a very high priority. This is simply because people throughout the world continue to rely more and more heavily on mobile technology. Mobile phones are not just used to make phone calls but increasingly they are being used to connect to the Internet on the go. Whether people are using this to find maps and directions, or to update their status on a social networking web site, mobile phone makers are obligated to provide this technology.

The main feature of both the Android operating system (OS) and the iPhone is the ability to surf the Internet. Both of these phones come with a wide screen and with WIFI capabilities, giving users the option to browse the Internet at leisure. Browsing speeds are reasonable and provide people with great convenience.

The iPhone is highly popular. When it first came out, it offered features that were considered revolutionary for the mobile phone in so many ways. Other phone makers are beginning to catch up but generally speaking they are not there yet. The iPhone is navigated primarily through touch screen technology. Users dial numbers through touching the screen, they send text messages and operate the various applications that the iPhone contains all through screen touch.

From reviewing both the G1 and the iPhone, I would say that the Google G1 does have some advantages over the iPhone however it does not fully surpass the iPhone or its technology. Definitely the keyboard that comes with the G1 is an advantage. Although the iPhone’s touch screen keyboard is fun and new, people are still quite conditioned to using a keyboard when operating computers and I believe that using a keyboard will still be their preference over touch screen technology for some time to come.

The G1 gives its owners access to the battery so that they are free to swap a fresh battery in at will. Although this seems like a fairly basic feature it is not the case with the Apple iPhone. iPhone users have to send their phones to Apple to have their phones replaced and therefore swapping batteries in and out while on the go is not an option. At present, the Android cannot compete with the iPhone’s media player. The iPhone has simply taken the mobile media player to another level and it will take the Android some time to compete with it. Lastly, the design of the iPhone is much slimmer than that of the Android. Slim is always more ideal than bulky. Users want devices that require the least amount of space in a pocket or hand bag.