7 Predictions for the Future of Computers

Summary:
What will your computing workspace look like in the future? You can bet that it will evolve over these 7 steps.




Some of these trends have started already. I prognosticated the rest using my genius. That or I made them up.


1. Everyone and his dog will use a laptop:

You demand mobility! Or your boss just wants you to work at home, too.

Laptops have outsold desktops in the United States since 2008. And in developing countries such as India, 1 of every 3 new computers sold is a laptop.

2. You will get a big monitor to connect to your laptop:

Laptops are portable. But when you sit down at your workspace, do you want to strain your eyes and back as you hunch over a dinky laptop screen? Hell no! You want to use a big, easy-to-read display.

3. You will get a big monitor to connect to your desktop:

A puny, under-powered laptop for your main workspace? “No way” you say! Maybe you’ll use a desktop instead.

Besides, you’ll store your files on a server rather than a hard drive, allowing you to access your files anywhere. So you’ll have a desktop with two displays.

4. You will get a second big monitor to connect to your laptop:

2 screens are better than 1, and 3 screens are better than 2…

… you’ll say to your wife as you try to justify buying another monitor. But no justification is necessary because your future monitor will cost the same price as her monthly manicure.

5. You will get 1 really big monitor to connect to your laptop:

Wait a second, didn’t I just say that 3 screens are better than 2? Not necessarily, mate. The future is high-resolution 30″ displays.

When the price of 30″ displays drops enough, you’ll get one 30″ display instead of two 24″ displays. That will save about 20″ of space on your desk.

For most of you, this will be computing nirvana. But power users with a fetish for pixels will yearn for more.

6. You will get 2 really big monitors to connect to your laptop:

Because of the high-resolution-per-inch of the 30″ display, this doctor was able to replace 5 monitors with 1 notebook and two 30″ displays.

Surely this is the final step in the workspace evolution. Who could possibly want more? Who could possibly afford more?

Well what if you’re trading stocks? Most traders use 3 or 4 displays (while frantically eating lunch at their desks):

What if you’re defending your country from incoming missiles? Judging by the photos, apparently this job is more laid back compared with day trading.

The guys at NORAD also get the job done with 3 or 4 displays each:

But what if price is no object? What will happen when the price of monitors decreases to the point where anyone can afford whatever they want? What will your workspace look like then?

Something like this, though you’d better be more tidy if you want to be elected President:

7. You will get whatever the hell you want:

Unlike Al Gore above, Bill Gates below won’t let us see what’s on his screens — maybe because he’s using iTunes.

8. Bonus:

Do you need monitors this big? Looking at the demand for larger monitors, you’d think nothing got done before humans had giant screens, right?

Of course you don’t need them. But you don’t need a car beyond the economy class, either. I’m talking to you, Mr. Mercedes.

But it’s not about need. It’s about want. And when it comes to coveting big and beautiful monitors, just admit that this review reveals your secret desires.

What do you want your future computer to be like?

Tagged as: 30-inch monitors, Al Gore, Apple Cinema Display, Bill Gates, computers, future, laptops, multi monitors, NORAD, workspaces