What are communicators? What is a communicator and why is it needed? Smartphone and communicator - functions
For a modern person, it is very important that the device he buys satisfies his needs to the maximum: communication, Internet access, data processing, camera, navigator, etc. These requirements are also met by communicators, which have become very fashionable due to their versatility. Nowadays development information technologies and the desire to combine several functions in one device at once has led to the fact that some popular gadgets are practically indistinguishable from each other. So, without certain knowledge, at first glance it is very difficult to find the difference between a smartphone and a communicator.
In this article we will determine what exactly is the difference between a smartphone and a communicator.
Smartphone and communicator - functions
In order to understand how a smartphone differs from a communicator, it is necessary to accurately determine from which simpler devices they originated.
A smartphone is an advanced mobile phone with some computer functions. It is also called “Smart phone”.
A communicator is a small personal computer that can make calls thanks to a built-in GSM/GPRS modem.
Communicator and smartphone - differences
Devices that are very similar to each other at the same time have a number of differences:
1. External differences between a smartphone and a communicator can be found by paying attention to the keyboard and screen of the device.
Keyboard
In a smartphone, the main keyboard is numeric, turning into an alphabetic one only when necessary. The communicator has the usual virtual layout of letters for typing on the touch screen or a QWERTY keyboard (sliding out at the bottom). This is done this way because the communicator is installed, among others, text programs, in which it is more convenient to work on such a keyboard.
Screen
Since the main function of the communicator is to work in programs and the Internet, it has a larger touch screen than a smartphone, and it often uses a stylus (computer pen) to enter data. But gradually the screen size of smartphones is increasing, and that of communicators is decreasing, so soon it will be difficult to distinguish them by this criterion.
They also note that due to different screens, when working with a smartphone, you can only use one hand, but when working with a communicator, both are almost always used.
2. Internal differences lie in the main technical specifications(memory, processor) and in the use of various operating systems.
Specifications
Since the main task of a smartphone, like all phones, is to provide communications (calls and SMS), manufacturers install a much weaker and smaller processor random access memory than in the communicator. But smartphones have the ability to increase the memory size by installing additional memory cards.
OS
Smartphones can use different operating systems: Symbian OS, Windows Mobile, Palm OS, Android, GNU/Linux or Linux that have insufficient necessary programs for full-fledged work on it, like on a computer. And in the communicator more often 
all Symbian or Windows Mobile, with a large number installed programs and applications. But due to the fact that these systems are open, you can reflash them and install the same software on your smartphone as on your communicator.
The differences between a communicator and a smartphone are so minimal and easily changeable that very soon they will not be noticeable.
Knowing exactly what the difference is, it will be easier to decide whether it is better to buy a smartphone or a communicator. This will depend on your main goal: to be constantly connected or to have a compact computer.
In the near future, the line between types of mobile devices will be completely erased, and one universal device will fit comfortably in your pocket, make calls, send SMS messages, provide Internet access and display media content on screens of the required size. Today, the trend is noticeable in retrospective analysis: the once clear line between smartphones and communicators has completely blurred, and the name of the category of electronic goods “smartphones/communicators” is no longer surprising. Let's see what the historical difference is between these devices, and whether any features of the difference have been preserved.
What is a smartphone and communicator
Smartphone- a mobile phone that runs an operating system and also performs multimedia functions.
Communicator- a pocket computer equipped with a communication module and, in addition to the basic ones, also performs functions mobile phone.
The difference between a smartphone and a communicator
The difference between a smartphone and a communicator was noticeable at the dawn of the appearance of these devices. Then it was mandatory for a communicator to have either touch screen, or a qwerty keyboard, it was much larger in size than smartphones, and was controlled by systems specially designed for communicators. The smartphone often did not have a touchpad, it made do with a telephone keyboard, and the operating system, stripped down to the maximum, greatly limited its functionality.
Today, a smartphone is practically indistinguishable from a communicator. You can dance from the purpose: if your device is more of an organizer, a calculator, a document editor and a means of staying always in touch, including via the Internet, this is a communicator. If a phone has priority functions for watching videos, playing games, and surfing the Internet, then your pocket friend considers itself a smartphone. Using the operating system, with slight hand movements, one view switches to another and back.
In terms of hardware, classical communicators, as capable of performing serious tasks, are more powerful, but graphic systems are poorly developed in this area. Smartphones, by definition, must receive a platform that is weaker, but also less energy-intensive. However, modern models have almost caught up with tablets in this regard, and mobile gaming content has begun to require more and more resources. So the minimum required graphics system- the lot of communicators, and manufacturers are trying to give smartphones a high level.
In addition, the communicator may look more massive than a smartphone, because in this segment there is no race for air. A communicator, as a business device, should be easy to use. Well powerful battery(and due to its rather large dimensions, the communicator can afford increased capacity) - a definite plus for many users.
the site determined that the difference between a smartphone and a communicator is as follows:
Initially, a smartphone was a phone with media player functions, while a communicator was a pocket computer with a module for connecting to mobile networks.
The communicator is more suitable for business; minimal attention is paid to media.
A smartphone is more of an entertainment device.
The communicator can be more massive than a smartphone and have a more capacious battery.
Communicator
Communicator Qtek S100
Smartphone, less often smartphone(English) smartphone- smart phone) - a mobile phone with advanced functionality comparable to a pocket personal computer (PDA). Also, the term “communicator” is often used to refer to some devices that combine the functionality of a mobile phone and a PDA.
At the end of 2008, Nokia released the Nokia 5800 touchscreen device based on Symbian OS 9.4. The smartphone supports control without using a stylus and is aimed at the mass market. Simultaneously with this device, it was announced flagship smartphone Nokia N97 with touch screen and slide-out QWERTY/QWERTY keyboard.
The most common smartphone manufacturers
|
Smartphone market statistics by manufacturer:
| Manufacturer | 3 sq. 2007 | % | 3 sq. 2008 | % | change 3Q 08 / 3Q 07 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIM ( | HTC | 850 400 | 2,7 % | 2 308 210 | 5,8 % | 171,4 % | |||
| Others | 7 816 100 | 25,1 % | 6 791 530 | 17,0 % | −13,1 % | ||||
| All manufacturers | 31 156 240 | 100,0 % | 39 850 100 | 100 % | 27,9 % |
OS
The most common operating systems and platforms for smartphones:
Smartphone product statistics by operating system share:
| Platform | 3 sq. 2005 | % | 3 sq. 2006 | % | 3 sq. 2007 | % | 3 sq. 2008 | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symbian OS | 8 164 790 | 59,7 % | 13 217 980 | 72,8 % | 21 219 390 | 68,1 % | 18 583 060 | 46,6 % | |
| MacOS | - | - | - | - | 1 107 460 | 3,6 % | 6 899 010 | 17,3 % | |
| RIM ( | Windows Mobile | 302 280 | 2,2 % | 1 025 540 | 5,6 % | 3 797 360 | 12,2 % | 5 425 470 | 13,6 % |
| Palm OS | 621 700 | 4,5 % | 333 340 | 1,8 % | - | - | - | - | |
| Others | 85 580 | 0,6 % | 51 308 | 0,3 % | 372 130 | 1,2 % | 862 340 | 2,2 % | |
| Total | 12 389 890 | 90,5 % | 18 164 618 | 100 % | 31 156 240 | 100 % | 39 850 100 | 100 % |
Smartphones and malware
The openness of the operating system of smartphones and communicators gives rise to another problem that is well known to users of personal computers - computer viruses and other malicious programs. To protect against this danger, most leading antivirus software developers have created special versions of antivirus programs for mobile operating systems (for example, Kaspersky Mobile Security from Kaspersky Lab).
Most modern malware for mobile devices (mostly Trojans) are distributed via the Internet under the guise of useful programs(games, codecs for video players and others), or locally in crowded places via bluetooth from strangers, do not install suspicious programs from unreliable sources, etc. However, in the future, with the growing use of smartphones and communicators to access the Internet (thanks to the introduction new technologies wireless communication WiMAX and others) malware for mobile devices can become a serious danger.
It should also be noted that regular mobile phones can also be infected. malware(there are malicious J2ME programs, it is possible to exploit phone OS vulnerabilities, etc.).
Notes
Links
- Communicator - the history of devices Mobile-Review
- Smartphones and communicators: from birth to the present day Mobi magazine
- Database on PDAs, smartphones and communicators (English)
| Computer dimensions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Large | ||
The modern market offers many models of communicators and smartphones. They differ in technical capabilities, design and, of course, price. Often, when choosing a new communication gadget, we are faced with the question of what to buy: a smartphone or a communicator? Naturally, to answer it, you need to clearly understand how these two devices differ.
Communicator
Let's start by defining what a communicator is and what capabilities it offers the user.
A communicator is a PDA that is additionally equipped with an integrated GPRS module. By and large, this device is laptop, allowing you to make calls. Although, calls for the communicator are a secondary function. Modern communicators usually have a larger screen than a smartphone. Entering characters and controlling the device often occurs using a stylus. If we talk about operating systems, communicators use the same software as PDAs.
Smartphone
As for a smartphone, a device of this type can be positioned as a phone with computer functions. Externally, these gadgets are similar to mobile phones. However, due to the presence of an operating system in them, it is possible to use various programs and perform several operations simultaneously. An ordinary phone cannot boast of this due to its small functional resource.
Most often, smartphones use operating systems specially designed for these purposes: Android, Windows Phone, Symbian and some others. Modern smartphones often equipped with a GPS module, camera, and wi-fi. In addition, they provide users with enhanced multimedia capabilities.
Let's compare
Continuing the topic of how a smartphone differs from a communicator, we must say about the processor power of the latter. Thus, smartphones, as a rule, are equipped with a weaker processor and have less RAM than communicators. This is reflected in the speed of work. It is logical to assume that the latter has a higher value.
However, the development of technology in recent years has led to the emergence of smartphone models on the market that, from a technical point of view, are almost as good as communicators. An example is Samsung Galaxy SII, equipped with a dual-core processor.
To sum up the question of what a smartphone and a communicator are, we can say the following. A smartphone is a phone that has the capabilities of a PDA, while a communicator is a PDA with phone functionality.
Often, taking part in a conversation on the topic of mobile communications, you can become a participant or witness a furious debate about the difference between a regular mobile phone and a smartphone and how a smartphone differs from a communicator.
Indeed, this question is relevant. Landline and radiotelephones are not the subject of discussion on this topic because very different from their mobile counterparts. The PDA (Pocket Personal Computer) also does not fall into the topic; it is impossible to make a call from it without additional devices And software.
To broadly generalize, we can say that a communicator is a PDA with a telephone built into it. A smartphone is a phone into which they tried to build a computer. An ordinary mobile phone is a dialing device, the software capabilities of which are limited by the sequential launch of applications and some cumbersome operation. The key difference between these three types of devices is the presence and properties of the operating system.
Let's take one from each family.
Regular mobile phones will be represented by Samsung SGH-D980
Samsung SGH-E250 being ordinary mobile phone, does not have any operating system. It is equipped with one single program that provides the device with all its capabilities. The disadvantage of this program is that it can only perform one action at a time. For example, it is impossible to run two applications at the same time. Those. Listening to music and playing some game can only be done alternately, and not together. In the case of a smartphone or communicator, both of these programs can work simultaneously. In addition, the only way to expand its capabilities without interfering with the phone's software structure (firmware) is to write Java applications. But they also do not make the rigid system of the telephone program more flexible.
Java applications are flexible things and, being written for one phone, can easily be launched and run on another. But it often happens that the application does not want to work correctly when installed on a “non-native” device. Otherwise, an ordinary mobile phone is not much inferior to its older brothers - smartphones.
The set of physical functions is not very different and can be present in any configuration and in any phone. It works exactly the same. A camera, calculator, diary, Bluetooth can be not only no worse, but even better in a phone.
The phone chosen for example can simultaneously support two SIM cards. Take photographs with a resolution of 2592x1944 pix, which is approximately equal to 5 megapixels and can be compared with the photographic resolution of a digital camera. The model chosen for example can support MS Office files, which is not often found in the list of capabilities of a regular mobile phone.
Synchronization with a computer phone, smartphone and communicator it happens almost the same way. The only difference is that the communicator, being a greatly reduced PC, "understands" large quantity file permissions than a phone or smartphone. In the process of writing a file, he can change its structure into a format that is closest to his own understanding. When copied back to the computer, the extension changes to a version convenient for the computer. Otherwise, synchronization works according to the same scheme.
Let Sony Ericsson G900 be the representative of smartphones
Smartphone, much more pleasant to use and more loyal to user requirements. Even with Java applications, everything is somehow better.
A smartphone differs from a regular mobile phone in the presence of an operating system. In most cases, this is Symbian OS from the company of the same name for Sony Ericsson and some Nokia and Series 60 (Nokia). There is also OS X, which is a product of Apple. Apple I-Phone smartphones run OS X.
The presence of an operating system makes the phone one step closer to computers and allows you to distribute memory and processor resources between several application programs responsible for different functions. Calls, in this case, are made using one program, and work and connection to the Internet using another, and a calculator using a third. As a result, multiple applications can work together without interfering with each other. The main thing is that you have enough phone resources. However, a smartphone is still a phone, albeit with extensive capabilities, but a phone.
The representative from Communicators (PDA with a GSM module) will be ASUS P535
Communicators, for the most part, are equipped Microsoft Windows Mobile and Palm OS.
In the case of communicators, we are dealing with a PDA to which a telephone unit (GSM module) and the corresponding program have been added. By the way, you don’t have to turn it on. The communicator feels great even without a SIM card, it just refuses to make calls, turning from a communicator into a PDA.
Windows for communicators, in fact, is not very different from the usual computer operating system, and is even equipped with a “Start” button on the desktop.
A serious advantage of communicators with Windows Mobile is that the installed programs include Excel and Word, which are fully compatible with the computer version of these office applications.
In fact, when talking about communicators and phones, it's easier to describe the similarities than the differences. There are not many similarities, but there are not a few differences.
Java applications are similar, but Widows Mobile works with them very reluctantly. In order to launch a Java application on your communicator, you must first launch the appropriate program and, with its help, enable the Java application.
Don’t let this upset you; it doesn’t limit the ability to install software at all. There are almost as many games and other programs available for Windows Mobile as there are Java applications for phones. In addition, the capabilities of communicators are much wider and allow more than any phone that works with Symbian or Series 60.
When working with GPRS, the Communicator greatly benefits. Unlike telephones and smartphones, communicators are equipped not with WAP, but with a Web browser and allow packet data transfer. Which is significantly cheaper and faster. Using the web protocol to access the Internet, you get access to the same resources that you use from a regular, personal computer.
Communicators, for the most part, are equipped with a touch screen with a qwerty keyboard and are almost devoid of buttons. Neither one nor the other is their distinguishing feature. More and more smartphones and phones are being released with touch screens. Namely, the presence of a touch screen reduces the need for a wide button panel.
Access to files and folders on the communicator, as when working with a computer, is almost unlimited. You can edit the contents of both the Program Files and Windows directories.
Many models of Palm communicators that work with operating system Palm OS do not have a touch screen but, instead, are equipped with a chic, mobile device, qwerty keyboard. In addition, Palm OS, like Windows Mobile, can work with documents Microsoft Office without any additional conversion. Word or Excel files are simply transferred to the device.