Hello, gorgeous! Meet the laptop you'll use in 2015
A lot has changed in the 20 years since the first laptop computers
appeared, including gigahertz processors, color screens, optical drives
and wireless data. However, one thing that has stubbornly stayed the
same is the conventional clamshell format with its hinged display lid
that opens to reveal a mechanical keyboard.
Data integration is often underestimated and poorly implemented, taking time and resources. Yet it Learn More
That's about to change. The rules of notebook design and the
components that go inside are being rewritten to make the road a better
place to work and play.
"Between now and 2015, we expect to see a
series of big changes that will redefine what a notebook is and what it
looks like," said Mike Trainor, Intel Corp.'s evangelist for mobile
products.
With crystal ball in hand, we talked to designers,
engineers and marketers about how notebooks are likely to change over
the next seven years. Here's what they told us.
Concepts for the future
First,
let's take a look at some concept notebooks. Just as futuristic show
cars give us insight into what we might be driving in the future,
concept notebooks offer a sneak peek at how we'll be computing.
These
concept notebooks typically are created by independent designers and
firms retained by laptop vendors. This is highly secretive business --
the designers we spoke were willing to talk about some of their concepts
but couldn't tell us who they were working for.
Rarely does a
concept notebook make it to the real world as a whole unit, but certain
aspects often make it into production. Early 1990s concept devices
contained integrated pointing devices, speakers and webcams, all of
which are now standard equipment. It's likely that at least some of the
new ideas, components and features showcased below will be coming to a
notebook near you.
For example, several concept laptops rely on
touch-sensitive screens that act as the system's keyboard and mouse and
go beyond today's multi-touch technology. Imagine being able to slide
your finger across the screen to immediately shut off the display and
keep what you're working on confidential, and you get an idea of its
potential.
Compenion
The
Compenion concept notebook from independent designer Felix Schmidberger
in Stuttgart, Germany, borrows heavily from slider cell phones to move
beyond the clamshell. Rather than lifting the lid open, just slide it
up. The Compenion. Click for larger view.The
pair of superbright organic LED panels slide into place next to each
other, with the lower panel acting as keyboard or scribble pad. The
whole thing is only three-quarters of an inch thick.
"It reduces
thickness, but the slider was more about the feel of using the
notebook," said Schmidberger. "The idea is to break free from
traditional notebook hardware without having to adapt to new ways of
using a computer."
Together, the 11-in. screens will yield about
16 inches of usable workspace, so the system has the dimensions and
weight of a thin and light system but the screen of a larger one.
Canova
Dual-screen
systems could well be the rage in seven years. The Canova from V12
Design, a Milan, Italy-based design firm, is closer to the tried and
true clamshell layout, but with a twist.
Instead of a display and a
mechanical keyboard, the device has two touch-sensitive displays: The
upper screen is primarily for viewing applications, and the lower screen
is for the mundane activities of typing, drawing and jotting notes. But
the Canova can also lie flat for a large expanse of working space. The Canova as standard notebook and e-book. Click for larger views.According
to designer Valero Cometti, "the idea was to close the gap between man
and machine." This notebook changes personality depending on how it's
held. Opened all the way, it's a sketch pad. Fold it half open and
rotate it 90 degrees, and it's an e-book. By emulating a musical
keyboard on the lower half, when it's flat on a table, it can be a
go-anywhere piano. http://www.computerworld.com/article/2537902/mobile-wireless/hello--gorgeous--meet-the-laptop-you-ll-use-in-2015.html
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