Team Members:
Aaron Chenault, Bradley Edelman, Laura Filliger, Elizabeth Song, Won Seok Chu
Abstract:
The term "Smartphone" is a rather loose term, merely creating a distinction between "regular" phones and mobil phones which support operating systems and have advanced capabilities such as word processing, email and internet access, etc. Smartphones also allow the use of applications. Several companies produce smartphones, including Sony, Blackberry, Motorola, T-Mobile, and others. In addition to all of these brands, the Apple iPhone is perhaps the most popular smartphone on the market today.
The first smartphone was released to the public in 1993. Produce by IBM, the Simon included a touch-screen, email access, fax sending and receiving, among other features. Since then, other electronics companies have released their own versions of smartphones, including Nokia in 1996, RIM (Blackberry) in 2001. The Blackberry is notable for being the first smartphone to allow wireless email access. The newest model of the iPhone includes 3 GB of memory and applications such as Poll Tracker '08 (monitered the poll returns during the 2008 elections), Ocarina (simulates playing the small whistle-like instrument called the ocarina), and Graphing Calculator.
The advantages of smartphones are numerous. They enable people to stay connected to the internet wherever they go, and, with applications, allow everyone from businessmen to college students to write up a quick Word document, relax by playing a quick game of solitaire, or conveniently check their email.