Possible Future PCs ?

www.rense.com...

i wonder how they will imitate the mouse

[edit on 19-1-2006 by stealthman]

www.rense.com...

how cool is that!! it wouldn't surprise me at all if computers are like that in the future

you can buy the keyboard now for about £100 from an Israeli firm.
It is compatible with pc's and phones etc and designed for people on the move.

Possibly as a transitional form, but I doubt either of those will become standard.

The keyboard because there's no tactile feedback to indicate keystrokes and, more to the point, there's no shock absorbtion for your fingers when you type. While the projected keyboard is pretty neat, it's also a good way to hurt your fingers even worse than our current crop of input devices do.

The monitor because it requires a flat surface of its own. I'd expect something like a flexible lcd screen to be the next step in portable computing. It's durable, flexible, and, most importantly, self-contained. Now, if that tiny projector was capable of adapting to distortions in the surface onto which it was projected (for example, controlling the image to minimize the impact the texture and mortar lines of a brick wall), I think it'll have a future. If, on the other hand, it requires extensive fiddling to get a good image, it's probably not long for this world, in spite of the "wow" factor.

Yeah guy above me is right you need to be able to feel the keys, I mean I wouldn't be able to touch type just by hammering my fingers on a desk. Also I'v seen one of these in action and its not all that impressive and accuracy is always very low. Try touch typing on your desk/closest surface right now. Not as nice as a keyboard is it? Also the projection screen is cool in theory but it would mean you'd either have to face a wall or (this would be rediculous) have a miniature canvas, thus eliminating the whole space saving concept.

Its a gimmick. Wait until they can produce holographic screens that you can manipulate with your hands then you can drop your jaws.

While there may be flaws with this current one, it still is a really cool look at future technology. Perhaps looking at this invention and taking into consideration what everyone else has said to make it better to improve upon, it could become an amazing piece of technology.

popular science had a cool looking futuristic computer concept abit back...maybe later i'll find the mag and scan it to show you it.

anyways...I have known about the laser projected keboard for some time, and I dont think the concept will ever really catch on, I've never used one though...so who knows, I might actually like..but I doubt it.

Flexable/rollable screens are the future, not ones that need a wall next to you in order to work.

It seems like the only thing for a small portable computer we need is the rollable screen.

Heres a cell phone that double as a mouse. and below that is a rollable keyboard, its wireless, and only needs 3 AAA's.

I don't think the monitor would need a flat surface if we're talking "future" PCs. Surely by then we can have some kind of free floating holographic image.

I love the future tech speculation. This past year I started seeing ads in Entertainment Weekly for "home theater" projectors. I think that's where all this is going. My theory is that the future PC is the same as the future TV and will indeed be a wall projection. An all in one entertainment/productivity device where you work on your spreadsheets while you watch reruns of Doctor Who in a pop up window.

As for the projected keyboard, I agree there needs to be some resistance in order for it to be used, but I see a time where the keyboard will become only used for hardcore word processing and 90% of the stuff we do with it now (math, user IDs, passwords, email) will be done with a stylus on a screen or touchpad. I'm a firm believer in things coming full circle, and I expect to be using a quill for correspondence one day!

Tablet PCs

That is sweet ! I would think they would have most of the bugs out by the time we "Joe public" get a shot at it.
My big thing is "When" are they going to really speed up our internet connections at home? This 6mb is just to slow. They need fiberoptics and gigabyte speeds for some great gaming

And over here in NZ the fastest you can get is 2Mb and its so expensive.
6mb speeds would be absolutely wonderful!!

As for the keyboard, you can buy them here..

www.iwantoneofthose.com...

I'm certainly not saying that looking at future directions for tech isn't worthwhile, just giving my reasons I don't think this (admittedly nifty) concept is where we're headed. Unless we can come up with a screenless projector system (either using holographic tech, which isn't quite ready for prime time yet, or my idea about auto-correcting for distortions in the projection surface) we'll need something reliable to display a clear image. I agree that rollable, or preferably crushable as I've seen the abuse that people give the current PCs and don't imaging that's likely to go down in the future , screens are the next step in displays. I'm not sure what direction keyboards are headed. I'd like to see QWERTY die the death it so richly deserves (even if it means I have to re-learn how to type), but it'll probably hang on for decades yet.

For flexible, or other alternative, keyboards, here are a few I've come across. The first one is similar to what Murcielago posted, but it's wireless and has a plastic cover, making it spill-proof.

There's also one that lets you configure your own key layout It's only a computer gaming suppliment right now, but I can see this being very useful for the programmers and engineers at work.

There's even a one-handed keyboard out there.

I wonder if they'll let you pre-order these. Now this is what I would call cool. I just hope that when they do come out that they will be afforadble for the average person. I want some now!!! Will bribes work for these people.? I think the design is radical as h$!! and should go over with the public if afforable!

Well folks, as far as I'm concerned a non-tactile projected keyboard is the price you pay for a computer the size of a pen, there arent many keyboards that fit your pocket as well as photons do.
And about the projected monitor, is it so hard to find a flat wall!?!?, If that is so tough, bring along some poly-filla, some putty knives and sandpaper, and get to work making this a pen sized computer friendly world.

Again, if I can fit it in my pocket, I'll put up with those small problems.

Originally posted by Toadmund
And about the projected monitor, is it so hard to find a flat wall!?!?, If that is so tough, bring along some poly-filla, some putty knives and sandpaper, and get to work making this a pen sized computer friendly world.

Again, if I can fit it in my pocket, I'll put up with those small problems.

umm, yeah. Good luck having privacy when your in a public space with you monitor projected for all to see.

Projected moniters are not...the way of the future.

ok, I got around to scanning my Popular Science article (w/ pics) and uploaded them.
The last one is a picture that I linked...since its to large to post...its the 2 page article...I made it large enough so you can read it.
I really like their concept...but i'm still iffy on the whole "Laser Keyboard", and I think they could have done a better job of making the phone portion of it more appealing.


PC Phone Article in PopSci

I was just watching CSI Miami yesterday and they were showing an impressive piece of technology which projects the holo keyboard, I thought it was a fake until, I saw this thread. So it really works as advertised? Man, its so awesome!!!!

Originally posted by under4orce
And over here in NZ the fastest you can get is 2Mb and its so expensive.
6mb speeds would be absolutely wonderful!!

As for the keyboard, you can buy them here..

www.iwantoneofthose.com...

Western Australia - up to 24mb for $50 or so.

Back to topic, don't some cars have a head up display on the windscreen, would love this for my in car PC. A roll up keyboard would be cool, have to put up with a normal wireless keyboard and mouse.

But wouldn't voice recognition and touch screen make the keyboard and mouse obsolete.

Mercialago said:

umm, yeah. Good luck having privacy when your in a public space with you monitor projected for all to see.

Projected moniters are not...the way of the future.

You can't find a private wall?
And because of that they can't be the wave of the future?

I can see how you couldn't use it on your lap, maybe they could wrap a projector screen around the 'pen' to fold out when needed?

Every room has 4 walls, I'm sure it could work out for privacy somehow, like if it had a holographically projected eye diverter,
yeah, that's it

Originally posted by Saldorri
But wouldn't voice recognition and touch screen make the keyboard and mouse obsolete.

Sure, if your a fan of fingerprinted screens. and voice recognition is "ok" at its best, it often asks you to repeat things cause it cant understand you. I dont blame the people who made the software though...I mean everyone sounds different, that would be a pain to program for.