Tablet Or Phone?: Today’s Touchscreen Computing, “The Hobbit” Filmed At 48 Fps And Where

Taking a look at mobile computing, the fine line between phones and the tablets has become faint. Google has a full line-up of Nexus brand devices from a 10″ tablet to the new fourth generation Nexus phone, and we’ll compare them to their competitors. Then, we look at why the upcoming “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is like no movie before.

Touchscreen computing has come a long way since the first touch-enabled PDA or iPhone. The endless potential lying in it for businesses and consumers naturally forced rapid development and innovation in the technology. But organizing all of these devices from so many people isn’t easy; between hardware makers, software designers, and application developers, there’s a lot of variety. It was only a matter of time before we would start seeing devices of large screens, small screens, and everything in between–and all under one name, too. Today, we have options of practically any screen size.

Apple and Google picked up on it about the same time with the iPad Mini added to the iPad line and the recently completed Nexus line, respectively. The main difference is that Apple is the only player designing and delivering all of their software and hardware for touchscreen devices. Google has Asus, Samsung, Samsung and others making their hardware. Microsoft offers its Surface tablet, and while it doesn’t make a Surface phone (rumor has it, it’s coming, though), there are Windows Phones and Windows computers from other manufacturers like Nokia and HTC. Another difference with Microsoft lies in that touchscreen devices ranging from size to size run either Windows Phone or Windows 8. While Microsoft offers no Windows devices in the 5″ – 9″ spectrum (thought yet another rumor claims a 7″ Xbox tablet is coming), it is the only company offering a full desktop OS with complete support for touchscreens, meaning it has the largest touchscreens available*.

In today’s market, there are enough options in touch-computing to make your head spin, so here’s a break-down of touchscreen device families. Google‘s Nexus line includes the 4.7″ LG-made 4th generation Nexus (st. $300), the 7″ Asus Nexus 7 tablet (st. $199), and the 10″ Asus Nexus 10 tablet (st. $399) and all of these devices run the latest Android 4.2. Apple now offers the 4″ iPhone 5 (st. $199), the 7.9″ iPad Mini (st. $329), and 9.7″ iPad 4 (st. $499) all running iOS for one consistent experience. Microsoft‘s leading line-up isn’t named, but clearly would include the 4.5″ Nokia Lumia 920 (st. $49) and the Microsoft 10.9″ Surface tablet (st. $499), though devices run different OSs: phones run Windows Phone 8 and PCs and tablets run Windows RT or Windows 8.

I can’t name a single person with any kind of claim to geekhood who isn’t psyched for The Hobbit–and I know a lot of geeky people. That makes even more important to know the background behind Peter Jackson’s baby. Even amid some incidents and difficulties, The Hobbit is looking to be a fantastic release, being the first major movie to be filmed at the higher 48 fps instead of 24 fps, which as Jackson pointed out, has been used since the 1920s. An HFR (high frame rate) movie enables an experience like no other, with incredible realism. Recently, it was announced that 450 theaters (see the list) in the US and Canada will be giving the special showing; IMAX, 3D, and 2D versions are also everywhere, though the HFR version is 3D only. For the most part, much of the world shouldn’t have to go far to see the enhanced version of the film. If you still aren’t convinced, the 3D aspect of the film is said to have gotten extra attention, too. This movie is more than worth getting excited about–seeing Tolkien’s masterpiece prequel will be even better in super-realistic 3D, right?

Sources: Inside Movies, The Verge, Engadget, Apple, Microsoft, LATimes, 48fpsMovies

*Microsoft doesn't make screens. Outside of the Surface tablet, Xbox 360, some keyboards, mice, and other computer utilities, it just makes the software.