Application and network support for infopad

Abstract

The InfoPad system represents a new and unique approach to providing ubiquitos access to multimedia data. A unique aspect of the design is the movement of much of the computation that occurs on a portable computer onto machines in the backbone network. The major advantages of the InfoPad system design include: • The user interface and application software execute on much faster and more capable machines. • Less power is consumed in the portable terminal. • Only error-resistant data such as bitmaps and audio samples are transmitted across the wireless links. In traditional systems the speed of the portable system is dependent on the speed of the CPU and local electronics, whereas the usability of the InfoPad system is limited by the speed of its connection to the backbone network servers. As a result, the InfoPad model works best in environments where high-bandwidth connectivity is available. This articles has described the software infrastructure necessary to support the InfoPad system computation model. Special applications, type servers, and recognizers were developed for the InfoPad system. This software was design to take advantage of the multimedia capabilities of the portable terminal and the additional resources available on the servers. The InfoNet system provides low-latency, high-bandwidth connectivity between the computation and the portable terminal. It also provides the routing and handoff support that allows pad users to roam freely. The performance measurements of the system show that design is a viable alternative, especially in the environment.