1.3

• Handheld devices


  Small, light and possibly can be worn on the human body. Very portable and easy to transport but their small size restricts the space for a powerful processor or high memory capacity. Becoming more powerful over time with extra features, storage options and network connectivity.
• Examples of Handheld devices

  • Smartphone
  • Small Tablet
  • eReader
  • Smartwatch
• Portable devices


  Larger and more powerful than handheld devices and can be carried easily in a bag. Laptops and larger tablets are the main examples.
• Examples of Portable devices

  • Laptop
  • Large Tablet
• Fixed devices


  Bulky devices that require a constant power connection. The most common example is a desktop computer which has a higher processing power and storage capacity than handheld and portable devices.
• Examples of Fixed devices

  • Desktop
  • Games Console
  • Smart TV
• Shared devices


  Allow multiple users to access data at the same time. Cloud storage is the most common example and is used by individuals, schools and businesses around the world through services such as Google Drive, Apple's iCloud and Microsoft's One Drive. A data centre is a dedicated building that contains computer systems - Facebook uses data centres across the globe so that their social media service can be available to users every second of the day.