Technology For The Better Future

With the economy said to be on the mend, vendors appear to be snatching the opportunity to launch new technologies put on hold during last year's recession. In fact, this year, consumers will be spoilt for choice if the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was any indication. With rumors of an Apple slate tablet being thrown around more frequently than a judo practitioner, an entirely new niche may even surface in the new decade. For academic purposes only (these are not promises), we've compiled a list of six mobile computing trends we can expect to see in the coming year.

The rise of the ultrathins
The Intel CULV (consumer ultra-low-voltage) and AMD Neo platforms are cannibals. More powerful than the Atom chipset, but significantly cheaper than full-powered processors, the first batch of CULV machines emerging mid last year such as the Acer Timeline series and HP Pavilion dv2 changed the price paradigm for sleek thin-and-lights. But when the CULV and Neo models started to hit the ultraportable and midsized categories, it was obvious these chips would pose a serious threat to traditional laptops.

We'll most likely see even more ultrathins on retail shelves this year, possibly taking the prime spots currently reserved for Netbooks. If the Alienware M11x is any indication, we might even see these low-power processors appearing in the gaming arena as well.

E-book readers haven't killed the hardcover book yet... but they're trying real hard
Ok, so technically, e-book readers are not laptops, but we are starting to see a convergence where instead of a traditional LCD panel, an e-Ink page sits on a portable computing platform. While the early models were hampered by slow e-Ink refresh rates and lack of content, the Amazon Kindle changed all that and now this segment is heating up. In fact, we saw so many e-book readers being launched during the recent CES tradeshow that we could almost hear the trees sigh in

Not only have the refresh rates improved, new models with color e-Ink screens, video-capable readers and even devices with dual LCD/e-Ink displays are in store. 2010 will be the year when the e-reader battle for supremacy begins, though the reigning king will probably be the vendor with the largest and cheapest e-book store content.

OLED screens appear as expensive option, LED-backlit becomes ordinary
It wasn't so long ago that LED-backlit displays commanded a tidy premium. In fact, only expensive high-end machines dared sport these (then) newfangled panels which not only sip less power, but offer a brighter display to boot. Still, nothing stays expensive forever, and LED backlights have hit the mainstream price point. In fact, almost all Netbooks sport such displays, and vendors like Samsung is already bundling LED-backlit technology as standard in all its portables.

But alas, companies need to keep their profit margins up. So what can replace LED backlights as the next big (and expensive) option? Enter the OLED display. Unlike traditional panels, each pixel on an OLED screen emits its own light and, as such, uses even less power and can be made exceptionally thin. In fact, some prototypes which see OLED pixels being "printed" on a flexible plastic sheet have been showcased as the wave of the future. So if you fancy a notebook with a paper-thin display, the reality is really not that far away.

Slate tablets arrive with a bang, leave with a whimper
We know this is a bold prediction, but hear us out. While the world is anticipating an Apple slate tablet later this month, major vendors like Dell and Lenovo have already planted their flags in this space, with more expected in the coming months. But has the industry really learned enough to bring this niche market into prime time?

Yes, we all know the power of the Apple/Steve Jobs machine which can easily sell ice to Eskimos and then convince them of the need for an expensive freezer unit addon. So when the rumored Apple iSlate hits the market, it will be met with wows and cheers from fanboys worldwide... But then what? Will consumers play for an oversized iPod touch-like device as speculated? Unless the industry finds a compelling killer app or feature for this niche machine, the slate tablet may slowly end up on ice next to the Apple TV.

Smartphone platforms turns up as secondary operating system
Though we have yet to hear this from any vendor, the writing is already on the wall. With Google's Android OS getting more exposure than the Christmas day bomber, the next logical step would be to implement it as a pre-boot platform.

Imagine a laptop which can be put on standby and yet continue to receive emails via 3G or wireless. It can be turned on instantly for Internet surfing, with access to an app store to add functionality. But when the time comes when you need a full PC operating system, the same machine can boot into Windows or Linux at a flick of a switch. Sounds like a dream come true? We think so, too.

3D laptops makes nerdy glasses fashionable
This was an entirely unexpected trend for 2010. Barely three months ago, 3D technology was a mere blip on the radar. Suddenly, a floodgate of 3D products swept the CES showfloor like the fifth labor of Hercules. Seemingly out of nowhere an entire line of HDTVs and Blu-ray players were launched. Though the 3D laptop segment has only two prominent representatives from Acer and Asus, vendors like MSI and Sony have demonstrated their intentions to joining the three-dimensional fray.

So while we have not reached a standard 3D format at this time, expect more products to hit retail shelves this year, with movies, games and software to (hopefully) follow closely. In all likelihood, 2010 may be remembered as the decade which spun off the 3D generation, much like how color TV did back in the dark ages.
Source : Click