CUSTOM COMPUTERS HAWAII: The Changing Roles of Desktops, Laptops, Tablet Computers and Smartphones – Part 2 Observations from the Professionals at MobileREMEDIES®

Summary: Our concept of what computers are and how we may use them in our daily lives has evolved significantly in the last few decades, especially in the new millennium.  Not long ago our mental image of a “computer” was a large box with a noisy fan sitting on our desktop attached with wires to a monitor, a keyboard and a printer.  Innovative technologies and creative lifestyles have changed our definition of computers to include not only laptops but also tablet computers and smartphones. This article from Custom Computers Hawaii is about the evolution of those trends and where we might be heading in the years to come.

In Part 1, we looked at the historical background of each of these devices and now in Part 2 we will look at their traditional roles and the factors that initiated some of the current trends.

(Click here to read Part 1)

The Traditional Roles for our Computers

Desktop Computers:

            Since personal computing began with the desktop computer, it was the device that embodied our popular definition.  Prior to the 1980’s most people thought computers were room-sized machines used only by the military and by large universities and corporations with no accessibility and no practical use for the consumer.  We used typewriters to create our documents, erasers, Liquid Paper or Ko-Rec-Type for our mistakes and went to the library or used our dictionary or encyclopedia to look things up! The desktop computer would change that, first by offering what was called “word processing” where we could easily preview and correct our documents before printing them and then by giving us access to the Internet with its exponentially growing database. The desktop allowed us to discover needs we never even knew we had!

Traditionally, our desktop computer was our “home base”.  It had a fixed and “comfortable” location associated with it and was always there waiting for us. It couldn’t be easily lost or stolen and we didn’t usually have to worry about keeping it charged or safe from impact.  We often had a plethora of peripheral devices attached to it with no concern for how much they weighed or how much power they drew.We typically kept up with all the latest storage devices and as the prices came down, bought extra drives to back up our data. One of the most salient features of our desktop computer setup was the potential for expansion as new peripherals became available.

Graphics cards and hard drives with increasingly larger capacities came out on a monthly basis (though we always tried to “hold out” for awhile thinking that if we could just wait another month we could get the breakthrough device that wouldn’t become immediately outdated!). Our printers traditionally required heavy and sophisticated hardware to produce reasonable quality documents and until recently couldn’t function independently without being attached to a computer. 

Our desktop was the logical place for them.Best of all, we could choose as large a monitor as we wanted (or could afford!) or even use multiple monitors to view several images or pages simultaneously. As our home base, it was the logical safe place to keep all of our data. In short, our desktop computer classically was found in the quiet and privacy of our home and “felt like home”!

Laptop Computers:

         

The lure of portability was irresistible but until recently always came with a high price both in the cost of the device and the sacrifices that we were required to make in screen size, image quality, storage space and initially, even the available software.  Since we had our comfortable and secure desktop at our home base, the laptop was traditionally viewed as more of a temporary or conditional work space that allowed us to get away from home for brief periods and still do some work on some of our projects.  Since all of our devices were still dependent on wires (with our Internet connections done through modems and the phone lines), “docking stations” were popular so that we could easily get our data back where it belonged when we came home by plugging our laptop into a custom base that had the same configuration of connectors but was linked to our desktop computer. Traditionally, there was no competition between our laptop and our desktop computers. They had distinctly different roles with the laptop being only a portable extension of the desktop.

Our laptops rapidly took on a “traditional” look which was the “clamshell’ design with the screen on top and the full keyboard on the bottom protecting each other when the device was closed and giving access to what felt like a portable desktop when open. There was no question initially however that the laptop could ever replace the desktop because it simply did not have the computing power and storage space to even compete. That would change, first as high capacity hard drives got smaller, lighter and more impact resistant and then as flash memory became smaller and more affordable (see: Data Recovery Hawaii: Some Basics from the Professionals at MobileREMEDIES® for more information about how data is stored) Advances in miniaturization and in display technologies would change the “balance of power” between our devices and open up new horizons!

Tablet Computers:

            

As we saw in Part 1, our concept of the tablet computer changed very drastically with the development of capacitive multi-touch screen technology and the creative uses that it afforded when the first iPad was released. To speak of a traditional role for the tablet computer one must divide the comments into “pre” and “post” iPaderas.

Pre-iPad Tablets:  The early tablets were principally used as organizers and schedulers based on their calendars and world clocks.  The Palm series (beginning with the PalmPilot – see Part 1) was probably the best known and most popular example of this type of device. While it could display primitive gray scale images, it was not the way people showed their photos to each other. It dealt mainly with text-based data but did have some simple games with a graphic interface. It traditionally allowed people to carry a large database of contacts and phone numbers with them in a small format that they could easily edit. It replaced the physical address book and the agenda that many businessmen and women carried with them. 

They typically had to use a small stylus that could be easily lost. Some of the later Palm tablets did have resistive touch screens that could be activated with your finger but they were imprecise and became rapidly under powered when the capacitive multi-touch screen became available.

Interestingly, it was not the modern tablets that were the first to compete and eventuallyrender the Palm devices obsolete but rather the smartphones with their ever-increasing versatility. It was the small hand-held, pocket or belt clip format and the capacity to manipulate our contact data even more efficiently that allowed the smartphones to “cannibalize” the Palm devices.

Post-iPad Tablets:The “traditional” role of the post-iPad tablets was a brand-new niche that was previously technically impossible and thus fully undeveloped. It was not text-based but entirely image-based exploiting the new GUI of the iPhone but in a larger format perfect for sharing photos and playing games. Even its text entry was image-based with a “virtual” QWERTY keyboard bringing some of the functionality of the laptop!Built-in wireless Internet access came very rapidly and built-in still and video cameras followed almost immediately. It had greater portability than a laptop but less than a smartphone or Palm device and with new applications being written for it every day, its versatility skyrocketed. The post-iPad tablets were the masters of social media!

Smartphones:

            One could arguably put the discussion of smartphones before the discussion of the tablet computers. Apple would again be the first to popularize (not invent) the next major innovation in the GUI (Graphical User Interface) first with the iPhone in 2007 and then with the larger friendlier surface of the iPad in 2010 and already at that point there was some overlap in the function of the two devices. Just as with the iPad, the role of the smartphone changed with the advent of capacitive multi-touch screen technology so again to discuss the traditional roles of the smartphone, one must divide the comments into pre and post-iPhone eras.

Pre-iPhone Smartphones:        The term “Smart Phone” (now “smartphone”) was first used commercially to describe the Ericsson GS 88 in 1997 but could not be trademarked because it was deemed to be a descriptive term already in usage and has thus remained in the public domain. In any case, as noted above,the traditional role of the early tablet computers was taken over by the early smartphones.

 That is, an organizer for contact data and an agenda to keep track of appointments and events but now attaining a whole new level of convenience by allowing us to make phone calls with the same device! These were also the first devices that allowed us to send and receive E-mails without using our desktop or laptop computer. The development of cellular technology allowed for access to the web through the cell towers (if you would like to learn more about the development of cellular technology see: From Telephone to Smartphone: A long way in a short time! Part 5, also from Custom Computers Hawaii: MobileREMEDIES®) rather than through modems and landlines making the cellular phone the logical choice to become the next portable computer.It only had to wait for the miniaturization and touchscreen technology to catch up to the idea!

Post-iPhone Smartphones: That next step occurred with the introduction of the iPhone. With the new responsive touchscreen and the intuitive graphical user interface it would create a new role for the smartphone that could be described as that of a true personal digital assistant. [The term “personal digital assistant” – PDA was first used in 1992 by Apple CEO John Scully to describe the Apple Newton and would be widely used to describe the pen computing devices long after the Newton was discontinued. None of those devices however, could ever really fill that role the way a modern smartphone can butit’s association has precluded it from being widely applied to the “smartphones” even though it would be a much better descriptive term!]Other manufacturers immediately realized the value of the new device and it took off exponentially, enticing millions of people to incorporate it into their daily lives. The modern tablet computer would then fall into an intermediate role borrowing from both the smartphone and the laptop. The modern era and the new relationships of desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones had begun! 

The Professionals at Custom Computers Hawaii: MobileREMEDIES® are particularly interested in the changing roles of our desktops, laptops, tablet computers and smartphones because they know that they must anticipate the needs of their clients now and in the years to come. Their job is to stay ahead of the game not only in keeping up-to-date with new technologies as they evolve but also in understanding how these devices interface with each other.

In addition to building custom computers in Hawaii and repairing laptop and desktop computers, MobileREMEDIES® Cellphone/Electronic Repair with locations on Maui and Oahu also fixes all types of portable electronic devices including cell phones, iPads and other tablet PC’s, iPods/MP3 players, game systems (such as Xbox, PlayStations, Wii etc.), and they know your devices inside and out.  They are also experts in data recovery and they pride themselves on being problem solvers. They can often suggest several potential solutions and you can choose the one that suits your needs best. They always give you a 1-year warranty on parts and service for any repaired device and honor it without you having to produce a receipt. In addition to electronic repair they provide web services for individuals and small businesses, buy broken devices for cash or in-store credit and sell refurbished devices with a 1-year warranty, similar to a manufacturer’s warranty on a new device. If they can’t fix your device, you pay nothing for the attempt. You can also find them at cell phone repair Hawaii, data recovery Hawaii, iPhone repair Hawaii, iPad repair Hawaii, iPod repair Hawaii and Xbox repair Hawaii or at www.mobileremedies.com. Call 1-800-867-5048 to speak with a professional.

In Part 1, we discussed the historical background of our desktop and laptop computers as well as tablets and smartphones. Part 2 looked at the traditional roles for these devices and the factors that initiated some of the current trends.Finally, in Part 3 we will discuss the relationships between these devices in today’s world and make some projections about how they may evolve and interact in the years to come.

(Click here to read Part 1)

CUSTOM COMPUTERS HAWAII: The Changing Roles of Desktops, Laptops, Tablet Computers and Smartphones – Part 1 Observations from the Professionals at MobileREMEDIES®

Summary: Our concept of what computers are and how we may use them in our daily liveshas evolved significantly in the last few decades, especially in the new millennium.Not long ago our mental image of a “computer” was a large box with a noisy fan sitting on our desktop attached with wires to a monitor, a keyboard and a printer.  Innovative technologies and creative lifestyleshave changed our definition of computers to include not only laptops but also tablet computers and smartphones. This article from Custom Computers Hawaii is about the evolution of those trends and where we might be heading in the years to come.  In Part 1, we will look at the historical background of each of these devices.

Historical Background Desktop Computers:         

Personal (desktop) computing began with the Programma 101 by Olivetti introduced at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. It was a sophisticated calculator that had programmable mathematical decision pathways such as “if X is less than or equal to Y, multiply W times X” or “if X is greater than 0 (zero), add V to the square root of W” etc.  Using magnetic cards, it could be programmed to accomplish very specific and complex tasks such as performing statistical analysesor navigational calculations and the Apollo 11 astronauts used it during their moon landing.  It had no monitor, no QUERTY keyboard and its printer was like that of a cash register!  In 1968 it sold for $3,500 (the equivalent of $24,000 in today’s currency) so it wasn’t for everybody!Things changed rapidly after that and home desktop computers became exponentially more sophisticated AND less expensive,and more and more people could afford them.  While numerous models were available in the 1970’s including the Commodore PET (Personal Electronic Transactor) and the Apple I &II (by the way, in 2014 a working Apple I computer was sold at auction for $905,000!),it was the brand name recognition and the extensive marketing that made the IBM Personal Computer Model 5150 the device that companies from all over the world rushed to copy and market. This is why the term

“IBM compatible” became essential in computer jargon. It cost $1,565 when it came out in 1981 (equivalent to $4,100 in today’s currency) butby 1988 with worldwide competition, IBM compatible PC’s would sell for less than $900 and would be occupying more and more home desktops!

Early operating systems such as MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) required the user to learn a set of commands, which he or she typed into the keyboard based on the common typewriter. This was called 

 a “text-based user interface” and the commands were not particularly intuitive and not always easy to undo when mistakes were made. Many people considered computers to be too complicated to be useful except for businesses and research labs. Though they did not invent the concept, Apple Macintosh popularized the “Graphical User Interface” (GUI) in 1984. The idea was to make the operation of the computer intuitive and simple to learn. To do this they wanted something more intuitive than the keyboard.Digitizing tablets using a special pen were available but very expensive (these are discussed in the section on Tablet Computers).  The “mouse”, named in 1965,was a variant of the trackball invented in 1941 for military use in radar plotting systems. The Xerox Altoalready used a mouse and a GUI when it came out in 1973 but it was never marketed as a personal computer and was mainly used within the Xerox Company. The mouse was less expensive than the graphics tablets and required no special grid but only a uniform textured surface (mouse pad) to operate reliably. By using the “desktop metaphor” (invented and already in use by Xerox),

the Apple Lisa 1&2 and the Macintosh XL changed the way people perceived their interaction with the desktop computer. By manipulating representative images (icons) on a virtual desktop, users could intuitively control their computer without memorizing typed commands. Microsoft rapidly saw the light and responded with the Windows operating system in late 1985. The mouse quickly became part of the desktop furniture!





Portable Computers – “Luggables” and Laptops:

The concept of making computers “portable” was already a hot topic in the 1970’s and was developed at the same time as the desktop versions. Both needed the available technology to catch up to the concepts.  Though there were many other prototypes, the Osborne 1was one of the first to be commercially successful when it came out in 1981, the same year as the IBM PC.  It weighed almost 24 lbs., had a 5-inch monochrome cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor, had to be plugged into an electrical outlet (an “optional” battery pack gave about an hour of runtime) and it cost $1,795 (about $4,700 in today’s currency). It was about the size of a sewing machine and was advertised to fit “under the standard airline seat”.  Retrospectively, in contrast to “laptops” of today, the Osborne 1 and other portable computers of its day were dubbed “luggables”!

The Commodore SX-64 was the world’s first full-color portable (“luggable”)computer released in 1983. It had a 5” CRT that could display 16 colors and weighed 23 lbs. It had no internal hard drive but did have a built-in floppy drive. It had no provision for any internal or external battery power and had to be plugged into an electrical outlet. It had a very reasonable price tag at $995 (about $2,400 in 2015) and sought to compete with the Osborne 1 but never became very popular presumably because of the lack of advertising and the scarcity of useful compatible software. In spite of the advances made in technology in the ensuing 5 years, the capacity to display a 

TV-quality image (monochrome, not color) and to have an internal hard drive in a portable computer using the available technology, meant so much heavy hardware that the first one, the Compaq SLT/286 that came out in 1988, weighed 14 lbs. and cost $5,399 (almost $11,000 in 2015)! While the NEC ProSpeed CSX, released in 1989, was the first portable computer to offer a flat panel color display, it was still “luggable” at about 18 lbs. The screen measured 10” but was reported by InfoWorld Magazine to look “washed out and streaked”.  With a 40MB internal hard drive and 2MB of RAM it retailed for a whopping $8,499 (over $16,000 in today’s currency) and required an external floppy drive!

There are many candidates for the first true laptop computer but in the US the 3.5 lb. Epson HX-20,introduced in 1981, is usually given that distinction, though the term “laptop” did not yet exist. It was first used in advertisements for the Gavilan SCreleased 2 years later and weighing in at about 9 lbs. The Epson HX-20 had rechargeable batteries included that lasted an impressive 50 hours!  It had an LCD screen that was only 4 lines high and 20 characters wide and a built-in dot-matrix printer that was only just over 2 inches wide. It cost $795 ($1900 in today’s currency) and came with a black plastic carrying case.  It lacked the “clam shell” design of today’s laptops and did not have the ability to display an image. 

The absence of a TV-quality monitor was the reason for it’s small size and light weightand typifiedthe major drawback of portable computers compared to their desktop counterparts. Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) technology was still in its infancy whereas CRT’s had been around for decades and were generating quality images. No one minded having a 50 lb. monitor sitting on his or her desk but they weren’t about to carry it around or set it on their laps! The NEC UltraLite that came out in 1989 had a 9.5” (diagonal) LCD screen and weighed only 4.4 lbs. with a new designation of “notebook” class computer. Unfortunately, to save on weight, the monitor still did not support color images, it had no internal hard drive, no built-in disk drive and your data would evaporate from its memory chips if the device was not charged at least every 5-7 days! We weren’t quite there yet.

Probably the best nominee as the first device to truly resemble today’s laptop was the IBM ThinkPad 700C that came out in 1992.  It was heavy at 7.6 lbs.but had a 10.4-inch active-matrix LCD that could support 256 colors compared to 64 in the NEC ProSpeed CSXat less than half the weight.  It had a 120MB internal hard drive and a built-in floppy drive.  Again, the “IBM compatible” designation would be used on ads and box labels across the globe in the coming months and years. The first Apple laptop with a color LCD screen was the PowerBook 165c that came out in 1993. From then on laptops got lighter, brighter and more powerful with new models coming out every few months! Processor speeds, internal storage space and image resolution improved exponentially and our laptops were outdated by the time we got them home from the store!

Tablet Computers:

There is no single definition of a “tablet computer” but most would agree that it is a mobile, battery powered computer about the size of a book or a piece of paper that we distinguish from a laptop computer because its interface is with a “touchscreen” rather than a physical keyboard or a mouse. The precursors of today’s tablet computers were the digitizing tablets used in graphic design. While the first tablet dates back to 1957, the devicedid not becomecommon until desktop computing began to develop in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.Data entry was done through the keyboard and through punchcards. Entering spatial information was tedious and time consuming requiring one to superimpose the image on a graph, read the coordinates of individual data points and enter the numbers one-by-one. Entering those points instead by touching a surface in exact locations was orders of magnitude faster and “digitizing” devices of many forms were in demand.Early tablets used a special pen called a “stylus” that was electrically coupled with the device and would complete a circuit with a grid just under the flat drawing surface when it made contact. This process became known as “pen computing”.  The tablets were very expensive and were almost exclusively used by professionals with very specific needs. Like the mouse, they were also only “input” devices, which meant that they needed to be linked to a computer to be useful. Combining the tablet and the computer into one device was the next step.

 The earliest consumer oriented tablet computer to superficially resemble the devices of today was the GRidPad made by a subsidiary of Samsung and first marketed in 1989. It weighed 4.5 lbs. and measured 9” by 12”. It sold for about $3,000 (about $5,750 in 2015 currency) with basic software.  It had a wired stylus and used an MS-DOS operating system.  It was used principally by businesses and the military seeking to streamline repetitive paper work and had little or no appeal to consumers.  It was however, the precursor to the concept of a “Personal Digital Assistant” (PDA).

The Apple Newton MessagePad was introduced in 1993. It weighed almost a pound and measured 4.5” by 7.25”.  It cost $900 (almost $1,500 in today’s currency). Much of it’s projected success was based on its claim ofnatural handwriting recognition but many found the initial results disappointingand it never achieved a high level of success. Though apparently this was dramatically improved in later versions, the damage was already done and ultimately Apple changed strategies.Handwriting recognition always sounded attractive but in retrospect, was never highly valued by most users and other forms of GUI (such as virtual keyboards and eventually voice recognition) have enjoyed more success (the proof is in the iPhone and the iPad!). The Newton was discontinued in 1998.

This failure was in contrast to the PalmPilot, made by a division of US Robotics(the “Pilot” was dropped in later devices due to a trademark infringement lawsuit filed by the Pilot PenCorporation).It was released in 1998 and sold for $299 for the personal model. It utilized advances in miniaturization and resistive touchscreen technology and weighed only 5.6 oz. and measured 3.1” by 4.7”. While it also included handwriting recognition software, it was in the form of shorthand that had to be learned by the user where letters and “gestures” were written on top of each other (this too, eventually had to be changed due to a lawsuit for patent infringement from Xerox!). In any case, the handwriting issues were not critical to its function as an organizer. The expectations were not as high as they were for Apple and the purchase price was much more attractive.  The Palm devices were quite successful and various models continued to sell until Hewlett-Packardpurchased the company in 2010 and the brand disappeared.

None of the tablets discussed so far however, capture the “flavor” of today’s tablet computer and in fact, there is a case to be made that it evolved from the smartphone rather than from the “pen computing” devices. Still, without the development of the touchscreen, neither would have been possible and the discussion is worthwhile. Using a stylus to interface with our portable device has always been a significant inconvenience. It is a nuisance when it is tethered to the tablet with a cord and it is easily lost or misplaced when it is not. The ultimate goal of the touch screen has always been to respond to the stylus that is always available and that we can neverlose or misplace – our finger!

The touchscreens in the devices described above were “resistive” and relied on pressure to push the layers of the screen together to signal the location of a single point.  The precision of the “touch” depended on the surface area of the device applying the pressure – small and precise with the stylus, large and imprecise with the finger. Sensing the initial point of contact before any pressure is applied to flatten the finger into a large surface area andthe ability to determine the presence and location of more than one point of touch at the same time have made the modern touchscreen impressively functional in ways previously unattainable.  This came with the invention of the “capacitive”“multi-touch” screen that could detect the slight current changes caused by the touch of our skin on its surface. While Apple did not invent the concept, it was the first to showcase its creative uses when it introduced the iPhone in 2007.This new GUI sparked the imagination of many individuals who developed applications to exploit its possibilities and the best-known tablet computer, the iPad, came out 3 years later, in 2010, creating a nichethat would embody the present day concept!

Smartphones:

            As with the tablet computers, there is no universal definition of a “smartphone” but most would agree that it is a handheld cellular telephone that has the capability of doing moretasks than just making phone calls, notably running specialized applications and accessing the Internet. Cellular technology and portable computing were parallel disciplines, developing separately for decades, before they found each other and joined forces in the smartphone! (If you are interested in learning more about the evolution of the smartphone see: From Telephone to Smartphone: A long way ina short time!, also from Custom Computers Hawaii: MobileREMEDIES®)

            The first device to fit this definition of a smartphone (though the name “smartphone” would not
come into existence before 1997)and also the first cellular phone with a touchscreen (using a stylus) was the IBM Simon Personal Communicator released in 1994. It was capable of
sending and receiving E-mails and faxes and could also act
as a pager. It had a world-time clock, an electronic notepad, an appointment scheduler accessed through its stylus-based
touchscreen and even had a virtual keypad! It cost $1099 (or
$899 with a 2 year service contract) and weighed just over
a pound. 
Technological advances occurred so quickly from that point on that by the time a device was mass-produced
and marketed it was immediately outdated. Prices continued to plunge and some early
smartphones became “throw-away” devices with service providers offering a “free” upgrade every 2 years as long as you renewed your contract. 

Various features that we now take for granted were added as each new model tried to outdo the last. The first cell phone with a full color screen was the Siemens S10 that came out in 1997 or early 1998. It had only four colors and could not display photographic images but it made the text and icons look very attractive!  The first to include GPS was the Benefon ESC!in 1999. 

It was a GSM phone that sold widely in Europe.  There is some controversy about the first cell phone to include a built-in camera but the most likely candidate is the Kyocera VP-210 Visual Phone that came out in Japan also in 1999. It was billed as a “video phone” but could only process 2 frames per second! It had a 0.11 megapixel camera. While the first “text message” or SMS (Short Message Service) was sent as early as 1992, it would not become widely available on cell phones in the United States until 10 years later in 2002, the same year that broad access to the Internet (beyond E-mail) became available on most smartphone models. By 2012 it was estimated that 200,000 text messages were sent every second worldwide! It is likely that that number is much higher today.

As noted above, one of the most significant advances in smartphone technology was the introduction of the capacitive multi-touch screen in the first iPhone in 2007. This new interface would revolutionize the way we interact not only with our smartphones but also with our tablet computers. 

Advances in screen resolution, image-capture, flash memory, network data capacities,transmission speeds, cloud technology and an exponentially expanding digital databaseon the World Wide Web, accessible through any cell tower, have made today’s smartphone into a true Personal Digital Assistant.  Newton and PalmPilot users had no inkling of what awaited them only a little over a decade later!

The Professionals at Custom Computers Hawaii: MobileREMEDIES® are particularly interested in the changing roles of our desktops, laptops, tablet computers and smartphones because they know that they must anticipate the needs of their clients now and in the years to come. Their job is to stay ahead of the game not only in keeping up-to-date with new technologies as they evolve but also in understanding how these devices interface with each other.

In addition to building custom computers and repairing laptop and desktop computers, MobileREMEDIES® Cellphone/Electronic Repair with locations on Maui and Oahu also fixes all types of portable electronic devices including cell phones, iPads and other tablet PC’s, iPods/MP3 players, game systems (such as Xbox, PlayStations, Wii etc.), and they know your devices inside and out.  They are also experts in data recovery and they pride themselves on being problem solvers. They can often suggest several potential solutions and you can choose the one that suits your needs best. They always give you a 1-year warranty on parts and service for any repaired device and honor it without you having to produce a receipt. In addition to electronic repair they provide web services for individuals and small businesses, buy broken devices for cash or in-store credit and sell refurbished devices with a 1-year warranty, similar to a manufacturer’s warranty on a new device. If they can’t fix your device, you pay nothing for the attempt. You can also find them at cell phone repair Hawaii, data recovery Hawaii, iPhone repair Hawaii, iPad repair Hawaii, iPod repair Hawaii and Xbox repair Hawaii or at www.mobileremedies.com. Call 1-800-867-5048 to speak with a professional.

Part 2 will look at the traditional roles for these devices and the factors that initiated some of the current trends and finally, Part 3 will make some projections about how they may evolve and interact in the years to come.

Resource: http://www.mobileremedies.com/index.php/blog

See the professionals at MobileREMEDIES®

When it comes time to replace our computer, most of us want the newest technology for the best price but we often rely on a clerk to point us to the “right” brand or model. We then choose a device that catches our eye with its interesting design or color, check that it is in the right price range and take the plunge.  The problem with this technique is that we haven’t given any consideration to our specific needs or if we have discussed some of the things we want, it was with a salesperson that may have no particular expertise.  For those of us who only use the computer to write E-mails, do social networking and save some pictures, any model will probably do the job and it isn’t necessary to read any more of this article!  If however, having a computer that is tailored to your demands sounds like it makes more sense, search Custom Computers Hawaiiand see the professionals at MobileREMEDIES®. Take the time to speak to a knowledgeable technician before making that next purchase.

            If the only criterion we use is price, then the over-the-counter versions will almost always be cheaper because they are mass-produced. For the same reason, in order to keep the price down, they are constructed with either low-end or mediocre components.  Unless you choose the high-end versions and pay the big bucks, you will not get the best performance. What many people don’t realize however is that they can create or oversee the creation of their own high-end, high performance,“dream” computer, specifically suited to their individual needs,for about the same priceor even less thansome of the generic high-end devices.  This becomes very important for serious gamers and for power users who manipulate real-time data such as video files, or those who create DVD’s.  It is also important for those people who just plain appreciate top speed and high performance!

            Small businesses can often benefit from Custom Computers Hawaii because they commonlyneed several computers in a small network, each required for specific tasks. For example, one high performance central computer may house the point of sale system and the inventory and be used for automatic data back-up while other more basic units may act as cash registers and others use touch-screens for customer feedback or for scheduling deliveries. Building custom computers for each task in this context can be very cost-effective and highly efficient.  This also assures that all the devices interface smoothly on the network.

            If you have the expertise, you can buy the individual components yourself and assemble them. They typically come with a warranty but this is for each individual component and not for the entire device.  If you have the know-how to choose the individual components yourself and to build the device, then you also know which component to replace if one goes bad so that isn’t a problem.  It is those of us who don’t possess the knowledge and technical skills ourselves to take on the task of building our own device but who would still like to benefit from the highest levels of performance, who can best use the services of Custom Computers Hawaii and the professionals at MobileREMEDIES®.We can then get a warranty on the entire device, just like the big box versions, and don’t have to worry about finding the source of a problem ourselves if one arises.  MobileREMEDIES®gives a 1-year warranty on the entire device for computers they build and a 1-year warranty on parts and labor for computers they repair. Remember that speaking to a technician costs you nothing and they are happy to give you some advice over the phone so that you don’t go out shopping without even knowing what questions to ask.  Find out how much your “dream” machine would cost, built exactly for your needs, before you commit to buying anything. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.      

In addition to building custom computers and repairinglaptop and desktop computers, MobileREMEDIES® Cellphone/Electronic Repair with locations on Maui and Oahu also fixes all types of portable electronic devices including cell phones, iPads and other tablet PC’s, iPods/MP3 players, game systems (such as Xbox, PlayStations, Wii etc.), and they know your devices inside and out.  They are also experts in data recovery and they pride themselves on being problem solvers. They can often suggest several potential solutions and you can choose the one that suits your needs best.They always give you a 1-year warranty on parts and service for any repaired device and honor it without you having to produce a receipt. In addition to electronic repair they provide web services for individuals and small businesses, buy broken devices for cash or in-store credit and sell refurbished devices with a 1-year warranty, similar to a manufacturer’s warranty on a new device. If they can’t fix your device, you pay nothing for the attempt. You can also find them at cell phone repair Hawaii, data recovery Hawaii, iPhone repair Hawaii, iPad repair Hawaii, iPod repair Hawaii and Xbox repair Hawaii or at www.mobileremedies.com. Call 1-800-867-5048 to speak with a professional.

Data Recovery Hawaii: Some basics from the professionals at MobileREMEDIES®

When we save a file on our computer, iPad, smartphone or other device, most of us don’t really know or think very much about the complex process involved in allowing us to retrieve it whenever we need it.  We often take our data for granted until the day we lose access to it.  Fortunately, our modern devices perform admirably and are quite reliable but they are not infallible.  If you haven’t lost any data yet, you can count yourself as one of the lucky minority. When we understand some of the incredible precision required to store and retrieve data, we become thankful that we don’t lose it more often than we do!  To see what things can go wrong we need to look at some basic concepts in data storage, organization and manipulation (if this begins to look like “more than you really want to know” about this topic, see: Data Recovery Hawaii – MobileREMEDIES® for a shorter and more simplified discussion):

The Basics:

Data Storage:  Our data is stored on a device we call a “drive” which comes mainly in two different formats; the “Hard Disc Drive” (HDD)and the “Solid State Drive” (SSD).

HDD: First introduced by IBM in 1956, the hard disc drive has been the workhorse and the only practical choice until recently. It consists of stacked rigid discs spinning at 4,200-15,000 revolutions per minute. They are called “platters” (taken from the term for record player turntable in the old days!) and each is coated with a mirror-like surface containing microscopic magnetic particles whose polarity can be changed by a tiny magnetic read/write head attached to an “actuator” arm.  The “drive” mechanism (powered by an electric motor and accounting for the device’s name) positions the actuator arms over the spinning discs and is capable of moving the heads back and forth at a speed of 33 feet/second, locating and tracking along any one of up to 250,000 concentric circles of particles on a 3.5 cm platter (one circle of particles is less than 1/10^th the width of a human hair)!  The polarity of each magnetic particle can be either up or down indicating a 1 or a 0 in binary code. The magnetic head can either change the order (write) or simply sense and report it (read).  Once the particles are polarized they maintain that state even when the power is turned off and can keep your data safe, provided that the entire mechanism is sealed in a very special protective case (imagine what a single dust particle or a good solid “bump” could do!).  This is still the standard storage device in most computers but things are changing quickly!

SSD:  Though solid state or “flash” memory also had its origins back in the 1950’s, it had to wait for miniaturization and microcircuit technology to develop before it had any chance of becoming practical or affordable.  Unlike the HDD, the SSD has no moving parts and thus makes no noise and is much more resistant to impact damage. It stores data in silicon semiconductor chips on microcircuit boards instead of in magnetic particles on a disc. The chips also maintain their status when the power is turned off.  Getting a large enough number of semiconductors together in a small enough space at a reasonable price has always been the main challenge. This was a gradual process and even as recently as the early 1990’s a 20MB SSD cost $1,000 ($1,750 in today’s currency)!  Now, in 2015, you can buy a 500GB internal SSD for your laptop for about $180 and an 8GB USB flash drive (400 times greater storage capacity than the original 1990’s SSD) for less than $7! By removing the mechanical component, read/write operations are much faster and the drives are physically much lighter.  They still “wear out” however when repeatedly re-written (after somewhere between 100,000 and 1,000,000 writes) and much work is being done on “wear leveling” to compensate for this. For the time being, you can still get more storage space for your money with the HDD but the gap is closing rapidly and undoubtedly, as SSD technology continues to be refined, the HDD will become, like the record player, only a page in history.

Data Organization: So far we have only spoken about how the data is stored not how we can access it.  It’s all very nice to have polarized all those little 1’s and 0’s in precisely the order we need to reproduce our data but we also must have a system of organization that allows us to locate files after we have written them.  So each drive must have a “disc controller” that creates a “file allocation table”.  With theHDD, in order to keep our data separate and retrievable, the discs are divided into tracks and “sectors”. On the SSD, these are called “blocks”. Since data can be stored anywhere on the discs and since it can be written over when it is no longer needed, the file allocation table must be constantly updated.  The SSD has a similar controller that generates allocation information. It was engineered to send this in the same format as that of a HDD.  SSD’s also have similar data ports and connectors, which means that you can plug either drive into your computer, internally or externally, and with a little formatting they will work interchangeably.  Your computer’s operating system takes the information from you and the controller and creates a “directory” which is very much like a filing cabinet with a hierarchy of folders and sub-folders.  The directory is itself a file that is also stored on the drive. You can assign file names and place related files “together” in folders.  Remember though, that those files are not physically stored together on the drive, so without the directory working with the disc controller and the file allocation table they are “lost” and just a bunch of 1’s and 0’s!

Data Manipulation:  Once the data is stored, you as the operator may manipulate it and change it using various applications.  You may edit an image or change its format. You often save it by replacing the existing file.  Every time data is saved it goes to a new sector or block on your drive and the directory is updated deleting the location information for the old file but not deleting the file itself.  That only happens when the sector or block is rewritten with new data at some later date. So, “deleted” files from the standpoint of the computer are simply those whose directory data has been removed. Placing a file in the “trash” only transfers it to that folder but maintains it in the directory. “Emptying” the trash then deletes the file from the directory. Certain applications (such as Dropbox or Google Drive) may be authorized to store or change data on your device without your direct participation.  Viruses may manipulate your data in any number of ways without your knowledge or authorization.

Losing Data:

If you have gotten this far you will undoubtedly have understood that there are an impressive number of things that can go wrong when we save, retrieve, organize or manipulate data in any way.  Some of the major causes of data loss can be classified as follows (there are many others!):

Operator Error:  Probably the most common cause of data loss is operator error.  It can take many forms from something as straightforward as misplacing a file in the wrong folder to using a file as a template, making numerous modifications, then hitting the “save” command instead of the “save as”, overwriting the original.  These types of operator error are usually benign because they involve a small number of files that are usually not worth the cost of recovery. Other types of operator error can be much more serious such as not plugging-in your device during a system upgrade and allowing the battery go dead during the re-write process! Any operation that may endanger the integrity of your file directory could leave your computer unable to access any of your data.  We will only mention in passing other operator errors such as spilling coffee on your device or dropping it down a flight of stairs since they are discussed under device failure!

Malware:  Malware is software designed to manipulate your computer and thus your data either without your knowledge or against your will.  Unfortunately, this seems to be a rapidly growing “business” in the 21^st century with no end in sight.  Major examples are stealing industrial trade secrets and identity theft.  Lessor but more common examples are creating instruction loops that slow down the performance of your device and then selling you a program to restore it!  Some malware simply crashes your computer with no other apparent motive than to cause you trouble.  These “viruses” can be introduced into your device in various ways but the most common is through Internet downloads or through an E-mail.  There is no limit to the harm they can do and again, any program that either writes over your files or damages your directory can cause serious data loss.

Device Failure with an intact drive:  This is also a very common source of data loss because many things can go wrong with our computers without causing significant damage to the drive.  In our laptops we can have broken LCD’s and charge ports, buttons and keys that stop working and flex cables that “flexed” a few too many times. In our desktop computers, fans can stop working causing overheating and power supplies can give up the ghost, just to name a few. We can also have software conflicts, low memory allocations and virus attacks that cause crashes but mostly leave the drive alone. Whether due to software or hardware problems, impact or liquid damage, when the device containing the drive goes bad there is no direct access to the data since communication with the drive is through the broken device.  The distinction here however is that the drive still contains our data AND the directory files necessary to access it!

Drive Failure:  After reading the section on data storage you can get a feeling for how many things might disrupt the function of a drive! Some problems are minor while others may be devastating. It is common for a drive to develop a few “bad sectors” over time as some magnetic particles may lose their ability to polarize. This is foreseen and all computers have utilities that “repair” the disc, which means directing the disc controller to bypass the bad sectors in the read/write process, which it can usually do without significant performance loss. If before the bad sector is bypassed however it happens to contain a vital element of the operating system, everything may grind to a halt. SSD’s can also have “bad blocks” and they are treated in much the same way by bypassing them and reallocating other blocks.

Serious problems begin when the directory is lost or the drive itself stops functioning. Without the directory there is no record of the file names or where they are located, the equivalent of “erasing” your drive. The files however are still physically present on the drive in proper binary code. If the drive itself stops functioning and there is no apparent physical damage, it might be that the electric motor isn’t turning properly or there is a fault in the microcircuit to the disc controller or to the read/write heads, etc. If, however, the platters are scratched or physically damaged in any way, without divine intervention, it’s the end of the line for your data!

Data Recovery; the Last Resort

Data recovery is an “art” that uses a progression of techniques in a step-by-step fashion to access your files. Certain types of data loss are much more challenging and more time consuming than others, especially if access to your computer’s file directory is compromised.  The cost of the recovery is directly related to how much time and how many steps are required to reach the goal.  Prices can vary from a few dollars to a few thousand dollars! It is critically important therefore to establish early on how much your data is worth and to set a realistic goal that is affordable and does not exceed its value.

In some cases you may be able to accomplish the first steps yourself at no cost or only that of obtaining the right software. If you feel comfortable re-installing your system software, using disk utilities to re-map and exclude bad sectors and rebuilding the directory on the original drive you may not need the help of Data Recovery Hawaii. Sometimes however, more sophisticated software from one or more other computers must be used to recognize the drive and copy the data that can later be transferred back to the original drive after it has been remapped or to a replacement drive.  As long as the file directory remains usable these issues are often minor and your data is “still there” waiting for you.  Sometimes there will be changes in formatting and there may be some corrupted files that are not salvageable. These scenarios are often the case for operator errors, malware and the minor problems due to bad sectors or blocks on the discs.

When the drive is intact, simply repairing a broken device may be the most cost effective technique of data recovery, but it is seldom considered! (See also: Forgot to backup your data? All may not be lost!) When our desktop, laptop or iPad stops working, the retailers would have us believe that it is time to buy a new one. They tell us that it is too costly to retrieve our data and transfer it to the new device. Unless we have a recent back up, we often feel obliged to bite the bullet and abandon our data. While this advice may have been valid 5 years ago, it is no longer our best option in many cases. Depending on what caused the failure, repairing the broken device may be cheaper than removing the drive, copying and transferring the data. In any case, that can still be done if the device is not worth repairing or if you decide you would like to upgrade to the newer technology anyway. Either way, abandoning your data is usually no longer necessary.

If the directory is destroyed but the drive is functioning normally, it may still be possible to recover some data by using sophisticated software that can recognize certain file types by the patterns in the binary code that they contain.  Just to determine where one file ends and another begins however is a challenge. Of course, once isolated, files no longer have any names or any way of recognizing them except by opening them in the appropriate application, re-naming them according to what you see and storing them on another drive; a BIG job to say the least!  If the drive mechanism breaks, the only way to recover the data is to open the disc in a dust-free “clean room”, remove the platters and re-install them in an identical drive, re-aligning the read/write heads (remember the circles of magnetic particles being 1/10^th the size of a human hair?).  If the platters can be read correctly and the directory is intact, it may be possible to recover much of the data. If the directory is destroyed and the rebuilt drive can function long enough to go through the extensive recognition process of binary code segments, some data may still be recovered but your investment may now be in the thousands of dollars. If the platters are damaged you’ve reached the end of the line. 

At MobileREMEDIES® we begin every recovery project with an initial evaluation of the device and the type of data loss, discussing which files are critical to you. Some preliminary testing of your device may be required but this is done at no charge to you. We then give you an estimate of the cost and the projected time needed based on the level of recovery required for your individual needs.  We agree on a goal for recovery and if we are unable to reach that goal or if the project goes beyond our capabilities, we charge you nothing for the attempt and absorb the labor cost ourselves.  We never charge you more than the estimated cost unless during the project you authorize us to proceed to the next level of recovery and approve the additional charges in advance. 

Preventing Data Loss

This article on the basics of data recovery would be incomplete without some discussion about how to prevent data loss from occurring.  These are a just few simple things you can do to help protect your data (there are at least a hundred more if you want to do a little research!):

• Surge & Impact Protection:  When you first purchase a new or used device spend some extra money up-front on protecting it.  For your desktop computer and game systems, invest in a good surge protector and possibly a battery backup if you live in an area where power failures are frequent. If your device is portable like your laptop, iPad or cell phone, it is under constant risk of impact damage. Get a quality protective case on day one.  Don’t put it off until it is too late! If your device is at risk of being exposed to liquids, choose one that is water resistant or waterproof (not that that always works!). 

• Automatic Back up:  Set up an AUTOMATIC schedule to back up your data to the cloud or to an external disc; something that doesn’t require your attention.  Having a back up off-site can be a lifesaver if there is fire or flooding. If you rely on having to remember to do a manual back up, you WILL procrastinate or forget until it is too late. It’s not your fault. It’s human nature! 

• Antivirus Protection: Microsoft operating systems are now packaged with excellent antivirus software; Microsoft Defender or Microsoft Security Essentials. Use them and keep them up to date. Remember, generating malware now is a big business and attracts a lot of creative people!  Keep your index of suspicion high. Screen your E-mails and downloads very carefully and don’t click on ANY links within E-mails unless you are willing to trust that source with your data!  Don’t forget that anything that is “too” good to be true probably isn’t! 

• Software Updates:  Keep your system and other software up to date. Today, bugs and glitches are reported and repaired with lightning speed and you should take advantage of these updates as they become available (as long as you are sure of the source!). ALWAYS plug in your laptop during major data transfers or system upgrades even if it looks like there is plenty of battery power left. 

• Good Work Habits:  Save OFTEN as you work. Don’t let your drive get close to full capacity. Trash files you don’t need, archive them elsewhere or get a bigger drive! If you use a file as a template, do a “save as” command before modifying it and work from the new file, never from the original. Empty your trash only after you take a final look at what is in there. 

We would like to believe that only other people lose their data and that it will never happen to us. Alas, it is not so.  Anyone who stores data will also lose some at some point. Hopefully, our losses will be minor but if they are not, we have the option of going to Data Recovery Hawaii – MobileREMEDIES® and speaking to a professional. If they can’t recover the data we so desperately need, there is no charge for the attempt!

Whether you search for Data Recovery Hawaii, Custom Computer Hawaii, Computer Repair Hawaii, Cell Phone Repair Hawaii or iPad Repair Hawaii you will find MobileREMEDIES® Cellphone/Electronic Repair at the center of it all in the state of Hawaii. With stores on Maui and Oahu and with mail-in service extending all over the world, they can help you understand and deal with any problem you may have with your portable electronics. They know your devices inside and out, hardware and software. Their technicians are young, enthusiastic professionals (nerds!) who LOVE to problem-solve. Their stores are not Kiosks but sophisticated service centers with highly trained technicians and very specialized equipment.

MobileREMEDIES® always gives you a 1-year warranty on parts and labor. Their electronic repair services include cellphones, laptop and desktop computers, iPads and all other tablet PC’s as well as iPods and game systems (Xbox, PlayStations, Wii, etc.). They also build custom computers for gamers and other high demand users, provide web services for individuals and small businesses, buy broken devices for cash or in-store credit and sell refurbished devices with a 1-year warranty, similar to a manufacturer’s warranty on a new device. If they can’t fix your device, you pay nothing for the attempt. Go to www.mobileremedies.com or call 1-800-867-5048.

Content  Source:  www.mobileremedies.com/info