Connection Time for Strange Devices

Connecting small, mobile computers to other computers, especially when these connections are not preconfigured, is a critical element in the user experience of multi-device applications. We empirically studied the user performance and experience of such connections using WiFi phones with Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), Universal Serial Bus (USB), Bluetooth radio, and wired connections in a docking cradle. Results show that the gain of easier information access by connecting phones to larger displays and keyboards could outweigh the cost of making the connection for text entry with as few as a dozen characters.