Cause and Effects of the invention of the Handphone - Essay Example

CAUSES & EFFECT OF THE INVENTION OF THE HANDPHONE Martin Cooper is credited with being the father of the handphone. Also known as the ‘mobile phone,’ Cooper, then General Manager of the Communications & Systems Division in Motorola, first introduced the handphone to the world on April 3, 1973 as a heavy 30-ounce device. This was followed by a decade-long refining process that culminated in the production of a slim 16-ounce ‘DynaTAC’ phone that hit the commercial market in 1983 (About.com).

The first cause for the handphone’s invention was the need to do away with encumbering restraints associated with using its sister-appliances – the telephone that had to be used within an area having a landline, and the carphone that involved using a device that was specially designed and fitted into automobiles. In both cases, the telephone users were forced to use the devices only when in close proximity to them {either at home/workplace or in the automobile}. The second cause was the bulky size of the telephone and carphone.

People needed to have a smaller, lighter device that could be carried around easily. The third cause was the troublesome before and after subscription activities. Applying for a landline telephone is a lengthy process involving filling in bulky application forms, visiting the telecommunications office and waiting for subsequent installation visits by their technicians. For carphones, there is the hassle of ensuring that the chosen model fits correctly into the vehicle. Telephone or carphone bills have to be paid on time to ensure that the service is not terminated.

The fourth cause was that there was no text message that could be referred to; users of the telephone and carphone were constrained to limit their message to words, many of which are bound to be forgotten once the conversation ended. The last cause was the danger of being involved in car accidents due to diversion of attention caused by carphone conversations. The invention of the handphone has had several effects on society. First of all, people are able to benefit not only from communication via conversations, but in many other ways.

The handphone has several other services such as Short Message Service {SMS} for exchanging text messages, email, packet switching to gain connection to the Internet, Bluetooth, games, camera with video recording and Multimedia Messaging Service {MMS} that can send and receive photographs and video clippings. Secondly, there is no restriction to using the handphone; it can be used in all areas where there could be no communication earlier, such as when going for a walk, watching a game in a stadium, visiting the gym, attending a conference or other function, visiting the doctor, visiting the hairdresser or having an aerobic workout.

The third effect is the ludicrously light weight of the device that makes it easy to carry about either in the pocket or purse or clipped to the belt. The fourth effect is saving of time and trouble in before and after subscription services. Users of handphones have only to purchase a SIM card and get it recharged upon expiry. They do not have to visit government departments steeped in red tape, or wait for technicians to turn up for installation or to conduct repairs, or run the risk of having their telephone services disconnected due to delay in receiving telephone invoices {invoices are frequently delivered to the wrong address or the user may be out of town for a long period}.

The fifth effect is the great reduction in number of automobile accidents associated with usage of carphones. Most countries have made it illegal to converse on handphones while driving unlike earlier cases where carphones’ incoming calls were almost always answered {that being the very essence and prestige of having a carphone}. The sixth effect is that crime fighting is become easier and criminals find it harder to escape from the law – courtesy of the camera with video recording that is part and parcel of the new breed of handphones.

Citizens who capture criminal acts while in progress send the video recording to news agencies or the police, enabling them to identify and capture those responsible much faster {given the unprecedented caution being exercised in all levels of society towards tracking suspicious articles or persons in the wake of the disastrous 9/11 events, the implication of this unique feature of handphones is massively advantageous}. The invention of the handphone represents a good change. The proof of this lies in the fact that today the subscribers to handphones far outnumber the landline phone subscribers in the world (About.com). Today’s modern world is characterized by a fast paced lifestyle where one needs to keep in touch with others at all hours and in all situations.

The handphone enables people to stay connected by choosing the method most suitable to them – some may prefer conversations, some may prefer to slowly and methodically browse through SMS messages, some may need to check if an urgent email message has arrived while some others may like to exchange photographs or video clippings of say a newborn child or a marriage ceremony. One can safely say that, unlike the earlier situation where the telephone and carphone prevailed, the handphone has opened new vistas of convenience in use and has supplied so many options in the way of communicating, that there is not a single person in today’s world who can say that the handphone does not satisfy any of his or her requirements.

Reference: “Martin Cooper – History of Cell Phone.” About.com. 2008. 27 Oct. 2008. http://inventors.about.com/cs/inventorsalphabet/a/martin_cooper.htm