Looking back about 20 years ago, could you image surfing the internet while having coffee at your favorite coffee shop or typing an address in to a small electronic device and it tells you exactly how to get there. The new improvements in technology now allow people computer access using small portable devices in their physical location. A person’s can be in outside in the park, in a classroom, or in the middle of a desert. This is called Mobile Computing. Mobile Computing has transformed the way people access computer networks allowing more flexibility in communication, less paper work for different job, and access of vital information in real time.

In this paper I will explore some of the factors of mobile computing. Components of mobile computing like wireless data communication, mobile devices, software, and mobile security all play a major in order to compute mobile. Also I will discuss the future of mobile computing.

Mobile Computing is a generic term used to refer to a variety of devices that allow people to access data and information from where ever they are (Bucki, J.).There are three ways which makes it possible for data to transfer thru different device and they are data synchronization, wireless LANs and the internet. In the past decade computers has developed into small portable devices that are capable of fast usability to networks from any location. For example, smartphones the apple IPhone and the androids phones has become part of the new wave of mobile accessibility. Mobile computing does not require a user to maintain a fixed position in the network and enables almost unrestricted user mobility (Imielinski, T., & Badrinath, B. R. (1994). A smart phone is a phone that combines the features of a PDA with a cell phone and the ability to check email; it may also serve as a flash drive, media player for music and video, and picture viewer (Bowles, M. 2010). Studies have showed more than 83% of American uses smartphone today.

There are five characteristics of mobile computing and they are portability, social interactivity, context sensitivity, connectivity, and individuality. These traits allow a broader experience for people to learn at about new subjects and different ideas. The two features that I think are most important are portability and connectivity. Portability is the ability to move a device within a learning environment or to different environments with ease and connectivity is the ability to be digitally connected for the purpose of communication of data in any environment (Sweet, D.).

Mobile Computing has changed the way we live our lives on a daily basis. This new form of innovative technology devices are used as a tool for personal communication, the up keeping of better records for companies and helping law enforcement jobs easier as well. Users are combining portable computers and advanced communications tools to drive their business forward in new ways (Fitzgerald, M.1994). More people today are using electronic checking, taking online courses, and socializing because of the mobile accessibility devices. When you board a train, plane or bus it’s not unusual to see people computing mobile on various handheld devices, like notebooks, smartphones, and laptops etc. I believe with the convenience of all these portable devices, the desktop PC will soon become obsolete.

The popularity of portable devices has become part of the pop culture trend because of the hardware and software features. According to a study from Frost & Sullivan, Inc., research firms in Mountain View, Calif., handhelds are expected to catch on in a big way in corporations over the coming years (Blodgett, M.1997). There is nothing cooler than being able to take a picture with a celebrity or of a foreign destination where you are and posting it on a social website where your family and friends can see it. Smartphones and other handheld devices are now equipped with camera, cam recorders, GPS systems and speak