Exploring Handheld Device Usage in Context vs

1.0-Abstract The PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) has advanced to provide greater processing power, memory capacity and a range of hardware expansion options where it is now more appropriately termed as a " handheld computer " , or handheld device for the purpose of this project. Consequently, handheld devices have found utility in a variety of tasks outside of the personal information management tasks (diaries, calendars, contacts etc.) they were originally intended for. The nomadic nature of handheld device usage also means they are used in a variety of contexts, unlike the staid office environment in which most desktop computers operate – sufficient lighting, ergonomic chair, desk, and so on. This project intends to explore the notion of context with regard to the influences that derive it such as physical, technical, social, cultural and organisational factors. This framework for assessing usage context has then been put into practice in the design and evaluation of a location aware handheld tourist information system-tGuide. This thesis begins by explaining what is referred to as a " handheld device " through discussion of various mobile computing products available and explaining what is relevant for this thesis, alongside a brief mention of the " appliance computing " concept. The usability issues specific to devices built upon popular Palm and Windows platforms is then presented, with a focus on relating usability issues to a particular usage context. In order to illustrate the breadth of handheld device applications and grasp the potential for the future, this thesis explores six applications as case studies. Some utilise advanced wireless networking technology and GPS systems, whilst others have been mentioned simply for their commercial success – providing practical insights into user acceptance of handheld device applications. The notion of " usage context " is of greater concern in this thesis, and the next section presents various factors that bear on context and shows the extent of their influence through the use of examples. In order to better understand probable usage contexts in the domain of tourism, research was conducted into tourist experiences, drawing on both tourism literature and an ethnographic study conducted for this thesis. The results of this tourism research were then analysed and then applied to a design process that utilised personas and scenarios. The functional requirements and technology platform for tGuide is then presented followed by documentation of the first prototype. This prototype was also evaluated with further …