JustinIdea - Justin Ricaurte's Personal Blog

The Ultimate Convergence in Computing

I won't deny that I became extremely excited when I saw Microsoft announce the Surface computer.  But my mind couldn't help but wander and see if there was a way to improve upon the concept and the entire idea of how humans should be able to interact with computers.  Is playing around on walls, floors, and tables the best way to interact with computers, or is there an even better way?  I personally don't think it will be the end all, even with an OLED covered house with walls that are as dynamic as those in Disney's Smart House movie.

Why limit yourself to a surface to do computing at all?  Even better, why make the internet a separate space where things are done?  The internet in the end, as my friend Anders says, is merely another way for humans to communicate.  So what could the ultimate convergence become?  In science fiction movies like The Matrix, humans have to plug into a machine to be able to connect to a "virtual reality".  Why should virtual reality be any different from reality?

Device convergence is great and everything, but I believe the ultimate convergence in computing will be when virtual reality and the internet are completely integrated into reality.  When you are walking down the street, you won't pull out your cell phone to find a place to go.  You will see the possibilities appear before you.  You won't even need a cell phone to carry on a conversation.  Instead of having a character in SecondLife as an avatar to interact with others, you will see other people, who are not physically there, walking around and will be able to interact with them.  You might not even be "there".  (Of course, teleportation would make getting there a lot easier. :-) ) 

With virtual reality and the internet completely integrated into reality, the possibilities are truly infinite.

Computer Design

I have to give it to Apple that their products are very sleak and modern, but at the same time, how do those products fit with how your home/room looks?  It might just be me, but if you had a sleek, white laptop (or even a dull black one for that matter) sitting on a wooden desk, wouldn't the computer look out of place? 

I know Apple designs their products to be lifestyle devices, but how many of the devices actually fit in with a person's overall lifestyle?  Unless your apartment/home/dorm room contained only modern furniture made of pastic, glass, or metal; the devices just don't fit.  What if the devices did fit coherently with the other things you bought?

I just read this article in the New York Times about a few companies that are offering computers with wooden casing, and some of them look very well done.  Although, they aren't cheap.   Suissa Computers has a very nice looking case which also doubles as a small table.

Here is a computer's design from Wood Contour, complete with wooden mouse, keyboard, and lcd monitor.

Finally, this one is by far my favorite computer case design, the Sangaku by Nicholas Falzone.

 

I'm guessing that because computers were historically created for business customers that the design has been allowed to languish for the home.  Cubicles aren't usually the best designed things ever. 

Just for full disclosure, my room is not exactly the most coherent room ever :).