What gadgets do you take with you when you go on a trip? If you're a true tech-head, you might bring along acell phone, adigital camera, a radio, a camcorder, aGPS receiver, anMP3 playerand maybe a portable video game device. If you can't go a day without watching your favorite shows, you might also pack a smalltelevisionon top of everything else. And we haven't even touched the subject of portable computers!
But what if you could wrap all of those gadgets into a single device? These devices could be multi-functional and could help you save space while you pack for a trip. Why carry eight gadgets when one does everything you need?
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We call the trend of multiple devices coalescing into a single form factorconvergence. If you take a close look at the tech market, you'll see that many devices now incorporate functions traditionally performed by other gadgets. Cell phones are a good example -- manufacturers began adding digital cameras to cell phones and consumers responded with enthusiasm. Before long, you could find cell phones that could take photos, play MP3 files and even surf the Web.
Now that smartphones have a foothold in the consumer market, you can find devices like the Samsung Omnia that incorporate a camera, a GPS receiver,WiFiconnectivity and other features. And manysmartphoneoperating system designers allow third-party developers to create applications that further extend the functionality of the phones.
Meanwhile,netbooksare becoming more popular, too.Netbooksare light, portable computers that don't have a very powerful processor or a lot of storage space. Instead, netbook users access services on the Web and let remote computers do all the heavy lifting. Some netbooks now incorporate GPS receivers, webcams and other advanced features. A few netbooks running on Google's Android operating system -- originally designed for smartphones and other mobile devices -- may soon hit the market. They aren't as portable or convenient as smartphones, but they have larger screens and are a little easier to use if you need to do some moderate computing.
接下来,让我们快速浏览一下的利弊of consolidating all your devices into a single form factor.
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