Cis 3303 - Iphone Operating System

iPhone Operating System

CIS 3303

"The world's most advanced mobile operating system" as quoted by former CEO Steve Jobs describes how iOS has changed the landscape of the mobile market place. Some regard Steve Jobs introduction of the iPhone on January 10th, 2007 to be his greatest presentation ever. In the last 5 years the iPhone and iPad have redefined the world of mobile computing, and most of these devices success stems from their operating systems. iOS 5, the system currently powering Apple's mobile devices, offers users an easy to understand operating system that new and old users alike can master. With over 200 new features, iOS 5 sets the standard for mobile computing that is not only fun and interactive, but powerful. From helping businesses cut down cost to entertaining the kids in the car on vacation, the iPhone can handle it all.

Apple has come a long way from the first iPhone. iPhone OS was the name of the operating system when the original iPhone was launched and kept that name for four years and only changed the name for simplicity sake("iOS version," 2012). Running off the same Unix core as Mac OS X, iOS has some pretty impressive strengths that take it past it's competition. Opening with the interface, as it's the first thing user's see when they turn on the device is very intuitive. User's will know how to use an iPhone the first time they pick it up. Apple's iOS boasts a capacitive multi-touch interface designed to pick up static electricity from the user's finger. The layout of the home screen is very uniform and unique with all of the users applications aligned in rows and columns. A new and exciting feature of iOS 5 is the introduction of Siri. Siri is a virtual assistant that not only understands what you say, but its smart enough to know what you mean ("Apple," 2012). Siri can help with everyday tasks such as writing someone a text message, or finding a restaurants. It can also search the web, set alarms, and call people from your contacts. Siri is integrated into third party apps so speech dictation can be use in all parts of the iPhone.

Aside from the interface, performance and stability are key to any modern operating system. With iOS 5 being derived from a desktop-class operating system, performance and stability comes second nature. Jake Smith (2012) indicates that iOS 5 beat iOS 4 in every benchmark category and even made older generation Apple devices run faster. Before the introduction of the iPhone, most people had never heard or knew what apps were. Since the launch of the iphone, applications have been a core component of iOS and a major source of revenue for Apple. There are over 500,000 apps in the App Store ranging from games to productivity and everything in between. From the moment you turn on your iDevice you will see preloaded Apps that do a wide variety of everyday tasks such as the Maps App that turns the device into a GPS unit and displays Google maps right on the touch screen. In addition, Maps permits users to search for a location and routes the best way to get there all while missing traffic. Much like a real calendar, the Calendar App lets user's integrate their busy lifestyle's and create calendars for different schedules or events. Besides these two pre loaded Apps, iOS also comes loaded with an App for music, videos, photos, email, web browser, and contacts all while being safe and secure.

Security is without a doubt one of the most important topics in mobile computing. According to ("Apple," 2012), all apps run in a safe environment, so a website or app cant access data from other apps. iOS also supports encrypted network communication to protect your sensitive information. A particular security feature to guard your privacy is the pass code lock to prevent non authorized use of your phone. The user can also configure the iPhone to wipe itself after so many failed attempts. In the event that the iDevice is stolen or lost, user's can locate their device on a map and remotely wipe or track it through GPS. In the event the user needs to wipe the phone, when they get it back they can restore everything from their last backup. Backups are stored on the user's computer whether a Mac or PC in iTunes. ITunes is Apple's all in one software that lets the user organize, store, and play digital media on the user's computer. Furthermore, iTunes is also the world's largest digital store where users can download various digital content to sync to their devices. With iOS you get iOS, no bloat ware or preloaded apps that you will never use as well as free updates to future builds.

Another strength of iOS is its ability to be used around the world. According to Apple.com "The user interface is localized into over 30 languages, and you can easily switch between them. Because the keyboard is software-bases, you can select from over 50 different layouts with support for language-specific features including diacritic marks on characters, handwritten input for Chinese, and contextual character options for Japanese. In addition, the built-in dictionaries support over 50 languages" ("Apple," 2012). A neat feature of the build in dictionary is VoiceOver. With VoiceOver the user can instruct it to read up to 36 languages, while Voice Control can understand over 20 languages. With the integration of FaceTime, Apple's premiere video conferencing application, users can now connect with people all over the world through video chatting. The benefits of this are numerous, from saving money to making memories with loved ones across the planet. Syncing mobile devices with ones computer to perform backups or to add content has always been a hassle. To make the lives of user's easier, Apple has unveiled its cloud support in iOS 5 to further enhance syncing between devices.

iCloud is what Apple calls this brand new service that allows the unearthing of the iPhone from a user's computer. iCloud is an online storage service that automatically and securely stores your content so it's always available on your iDevice. It gives access to your music, movies, apps, and photos on which ever Apple device you happen to be using. In addition iCloud also keeps emails, calendars, and contacts up to date across all the users devices. This feature opens up an incredible amount of convenience for the end user. Business users can make document edits on their iPhones, as a result, that edit also gets applied to the computer at home as well. In addition snapping a picture with the iPhone automatically gets sent to all your devices. Backing up important information is easy with iCloud. Simply plug the iPhone