Meet the Laptop You Will (Won't?) Use In 2015

robert2cane writes "The Compenion concept notebook, designed by Felix Schmidberger, eschews the familiar clamshell design in favor of two superbright organic LED panels that slide into place next to each other, making the notebook just three-quarters of an inch thick." Really this page is just some renderings of some concept computers that are pretty far out of practical production reach. Some interesting ideas, but mostly a whole lot of 'Yeah, right.'

Same old same old

[neokushan]

Every year we see all sorts of concepts for computers that we'll be using in 5, 10 or 20 years time. Yet 5, 10 or 20 years ago, the devices we used then are still largely the same.
Sure, they're faster and have more memory, as well as maybe more colours on their screens, but ultimately they don't look all that different.
I very much doubt any of these concepts will see the light of day unless they offer something truly useful and innovative.

Rejected technology

[just_forget_it]

Tactile response is a huge reason we have keyboards. The technology that can replace them is here now, and has been for quite a while. But nothing can beat the practicality of a keyboard. Replacing it with a touchscreen is just impractical. There's no tactile response, and banging your fingers on a hard, unyielding surface is going to cause typing fatigue much quicker. Then, there's the fingerprints and smudging you have to deal with, along with scratches.

There are plenty of technologies that came along that were poised to replace something but never quite made it. Remember the "push button transmission" in the mid-50's Dodge models? Of course you don't. It was supposed to do away with that antiquated lever system used to switch gears. But people LIKED the lever, and with the push button controller you could do something that the lever didn't allow you to: place your car into reverse directly from drive, which is obviously extremely dangerous.

Then in the 1980's we saw another phenomenon: the digital dashboard. Instead of using those antiquated analog dials, automakers started using digital readouts instead. It was all computerized and cool and futuristic...and was gone by the early 1990's. People wanted the old-fashioned dials.

To predict that the keyboard will be gone in less than 10 years is like predicting the steering wheel will be gone by then, too.

Re:Tactile response

[paradxum]

I love that argument! Simply because the answer is so obvious. Most (newer) laptops have bluetooth integrated in them. If you just NEED a keyboard (really, nothing wrong with that... I NEED one for what I do) just get a bluetooth keyboard for when you are "working" ... there are even roll up ones to take when you are traveling.

Moving parts? In 2015??

[ThePhilips]

I hope by 2015 notebooks would have no moving parts - no sliding things either.

I just want a normal notebook. Just normal notebook from Sci-Fi: no physical parts, voice interface, 3D projector and virtual keyboard. All that packed into watch.

Google can't find images - but something like it was in Heroic Age [wikipedia.org] anime.

Re:Obligatory conversion

[Slashidiot]

According to wikipedia, African male elephants are about 3.64m tall, so that would be 0.005234 African male elephants.

Just FYI, it would also be 0.00635 African female elephants, or 0.0127 zebras.

Actually, when expressed in these units, it definately looks a bit too thick for a laptop.

Re:'Futurism' reflects the current age

[that IT girl]

Mod parent up for mentioning Back to the Future, which I don't think I'm far off the mark in saying is the best movie ever. :) Seriously, though, you are quite right. By 2015 it's possible that the traditional idea of the laptop/notebook will have been forgone entirely for a whole new design we haven't thought of yet.

In speculation... although I enjoy typing, I'd like to see some voice recognition in place for dictating (useful when on the road, if you must use your computer there) rather than the usual manual entry, at least for things like emailing or putting together a speech. But, as with everything in the future, all we can do is wait and see. And create.

Re:Tactile response

[MightyYar]

With a little luck, and some help from engineers [redferret.net], they will still have tactile feedback. I'm actually rather anxious to try one of these Nokia "haptic" screens.

Re:Uhhh OK.

[timster]

Oh, come on. "Stuff that matters" used to be 90% case mods. That's why so many sites were "slashdotted" back in the day -- they were all people's personal Web sites where they had posted their leet case mods.

Re:Moving parts? In 2015??

[ThePhilips]

Privacy (esp in public places) is interesting point.

But honestly, my first association with notebooks somehow now is "desktop replacement". I use right now laptops at home and in office. (And frankly, have no wish to carry one around - I get enough of computer everywhere else. YMMV.)

What we do right now with laptops and more importantly how we do it, would change in coming years. Think of text/image/video-blogging - that is mostly public activity anyway and doesn't require privacy. Though yes, lack of physical entity has implication for privacy and security if such is needed. (e.g. Wi-Fi didn't yet sorted out all the problems with misuse and abuse - and all they did was to move from physical material media (wire) to immaterial media (radio waves).)

One can imaging devices now under development which try to project image right into ones retina. And - OMG - they already have wikipedia page [wikipedia.org]:

A "virtual retinal display" (VRD), also known as a "retinal scan display" (RSD)

Should be nice solution to privacy problem. (If it doesn't burn out one's eyes, of course.)

For corporate lappy, privacy is must. Do not see solution other than having "physical laptop." Do not want my manager to see what I am really doing with my time in office ;)

Re:The laptop that fits into a steering wheel, gre

[damburger]

We won't have a choice, that'll be part of the whole Trusted Cognition(tm) package