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The Laptop We SHOULD have
A Rant (June 2006)
By Jeffrey the Barak
Published June 2006

June 2006

I've had 8 pound desktop replacements, a tablet, a "thin and light" and handhelds. Each have their strong points and weaknesses.

Based on all of this experience, this is what I need. Okay, we all know there is no such thing, but could there be? I really don't see why not. Here is why.

It should only weigh 4 pounds or less
Laptops are heavy because they contain metal and glass. Other materials exist and should be incorporated into portable computer design.

The screen should be 15" so I can comfortably see what I am doing
These 15" screens are made of glass. Other materials weigh less than glass.

When you turn it on, it should be on, no boot up, no waiting for programs to load from the hard disk
A typical laptop takes up to three minutes to settle down after you hit the power switch, but my handheld takes a split second. If we can use an operating system other than today's Windows or Linux or Mac we should be able to compute from RAM. It's been done before, why not now? Yes USB keys and SD cards etc. are pricey, but they prove we can have small and light, instant-on memory.

The battery should allow me to work or play for several hours with no consideration given to what programs I run
Batteries are a century behind, as any electric vehicle owner will testify. But if the display can be made cooler and the moving parts can be eliminated, then today's disappointing batteries should serve ten times as long as they do.

Maybe a traditional portable computer will be better for certain things, but if such a lightweight and speedy marvel were to come to market, who wouldn't want one? Applications would be certain to follow. User compromises would be minimal and worth it in time and weight saved.

We all need these elusive devices and the sooner the better.

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