Over the past three years or so the traditional benchmark for computer power – Processing speed -- has become less and less meaningful. Processing power just isn’t as important as it used to be. Consumers no longer need to buy a computer every three or four years just to keep up. The result is that hardware is now improving in more diverse ways than before. Consumers now look for much more than processing power, and in order to stay competitive, hardware companies have taken notice.
The biggest trend in hardware is in mobility and portability. About the same time desktop sales started dipping because processing power no longer forced them to buy a new computer every three years, laptops started improving dramatically. Laptops today are just so much more appealing than they were a few years back. They’ve closed the gap bigtime with desktops – and its not because of processing.
Its almost a blessing that battery technology has stalled for so long, because hardware companies have been forced to think up new and clever ways for miniaturizing technology and decreasing power consumption while maximizing performance. This has given us low-electricity consumption processors that still run competitively fast, affordable high quality LCD flat-panel monitors, USB, quality aesthetics, and the growth of wireless. All in an effort to promote laptops.
The mobility just adds a whole new dimension to their appeal. I like that I can sit on my couch and write this article. I like that I can watch a DVD while I’m on the trolley going to work. I like that I can take my laptop over to Matt’s house and we can collaboratively work on projects. I like that I can “work from home”, but really, be anywhere with Wi-Fi. With a laptop, Wi-Fi and a cell phone, -- I’m completely connected and my physical location is totally irrelevant. (More on this later)
This wave of hardware development is just going to keep increasing the diversity of applications as hardware companies think about ways to make people want to buy new computers. I can’t wait.
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4 comments:
I hadn't thought about that - battery power really is the limiting factor in mobile devices right now. And it is kind of a blessing since it's spurring development in other fields.
I think it certainly hasn't helped that standards for batteries are sort of handwavy at best. Sure, you can find a good ol' AA just about anywhere, but try getting a replacement for, say, your power-glutton Compaq lappy from anyone other than HP. (This is, uh, purely a hypothetical question. Yeah.)
Even assuming you could find one, would you trust the provider? There are so many different sizes, shapes, and power adaptors to consider that it would be very difficult for a third-party to profit.
I agree. power assumption is currently one of the major limiting factors to mobile or wearable computing. we've been designing some wearable computing solutions at work [www.maya.com] but it always has to be attached to a much larger battery pack, or it only lasts the length of the demo...
I'm imagining a guy walking around with a Proton Pack from Ghostbusters linked to a wearable audio-input laptop.
Almost totally awesome.
I think Wi-Fi and smaller more compact laptops have indeed turned the corner. Your comment on the obsolete practice of upping processing speed is write on. Now, portability is driving the game. Very insightful post!
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