What’s next for laptops?
The biggest changes coming in laptop computers are in the choice of processors,
the type of storage and the means of user input. Also, as wireless infrastructure
grows, these mobile computers are gaining wireless capabilities to match.
By Wayne Rash
In one sense, the laptop com- puter has been a remarkably stableplatform. Thefirst laptop I ever used, the Data General One in 1984, was the prototype for all that followed.
Yes, it ran MS-DOS on
the command line and
weighed 9 pounds, but
with its LCD screen, flat
keyboard and clam-shell
case, this form factor has
remained essentially the
same for 26 years. Of
course, during that time,
laptop computers have
become more portable,
more powerful and more
diverse.
Now, the definition of
what constitutes a laptop computer
is changing. Along with comput
ers that will fit in your briefcase,
there are netbooks that are enjoying
explosive growth (because they’re
really cheap) and tablets, which are
getting a lot of hype.
And there are computers that
are called laptops but have a size
and weight that would seriously
strain anyone’s lap. And, to make
things more interesting, there are
few lines separating what constitutes a laptop, a netbook and a
tablet.
No matter how you look at
it, laptop computers are getting
faster, lighter, more convenient
and more capable. The biggest
changes, which are already start-
ing to appear, are in the choice of
processors, the type of storage and
the means of user input. As wire-
less infrastructure grows, these
mobile computers are gaining
device, and while it’s possible to cre-
ate content with an iPad, the device
is not really designed for that.
Analyst Jack Gold of J. Gold Associ-
ates explained it this way: “A tablet is
a window on the Internet. It’s a physi-
cal instantiation of a browser.”
However, the tablet-as-browser
may also be its strength. It reduces
the process of using a browser to its
most basic form: an on-screen image
and little else. As it’s delivered, the
iPad isn’t particularly useful for creat-
ing documents or presentations, but
it does provide a convenient means
of displaying them and providing a
platform for presentations.
Perhaps because of this, many
companies are making plans
to accommodate the iPad.
One informal survey con-
ducted by Citrix Systems,
In addition to convenience,
the iPad has changed the view of
what users expect of a tablet com-
puter. Until now, the tablet PC ran
Windows, used a stylus, was rela-
tively heavy and had a limited battery
life. The slick interface, the light
weight and the longer battery life of
the iPad have raised those expecta-
tions for future tablets coming into
the market.
A move into the enterprise implies
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- You can get the latest in business notebooks in assorted colors. This version comes in a deep red color called “Bordeaux.” And the keyboard ispill-proof. pill-proof. wireless capabilities to match. And
let’s not forget the form factor.
No end in sight
To some, the introduction of
Apple’s iPad—as well as new tablets
that are apparently under development at HP and Dell—may mean
the end of the laptop. Many experts,
however, disagree.
“The iPad is not really a computer,
it’s an appliance,” explained analyst
Craig Mathias of Farpoint Group. He
and others point out that the iPad is
essentially a content-consumption
