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It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future but in terms of display technology, I think rollable displays will be common by 2015. The rollable screens have an obvious form factor appeal. The devices will probably be cylinder shaped (think paper towel tube, but a bit smaller) with a virtual keyboard. There are already early versions of both rollable displays and virtual keyboards in existence, see http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/technology/06novelties.html?_r=1&ref=technology&oref=slogin and http://www.virtualdevices.net/Products.htm, respectively. By 2015 rollable displays will have full color, etc. and virtual keyboards will hopefully have haptic attributes. This is just my best guess before my morning coffee! http://backpackcomputing.com/

JJust use laser projection? Combine http://www.virtualdevices.net/ with laser projection and you'd have an interface nearly anywhere. Granted you'd need a surface to project on but in the urban environment that shouldn't be too hard to find. That and with spoken commands you should be able to control the device just fine.

While most mobile users would like to have something more compact, is it really necessary to sacrafice teh productivity of a standard keyboard in order to gain a convenient, compact form factor?

I like the promise that the virtual keyboards have (e.g. http://www.virtualdevices.net/ ). While functionly they have some limitations right now (e.g. having to hold your fingers about the infrared keys), over time they are going to get better. At least this solution you could have a full range keyboard without having to lug it around.

-- Jim http://www.runfatboy.net/

They also have a virtual keyboard for sale. Imagine setting your cell phone on a table, pushing a button, and getting an instant monitor and keyboard. No one will need PCs for surfing the web and common functionality. Give it ten years or so to become widespread.

A cell phone that hooks up to a virtual retinal display and includes a projection keyboard. In the near future, both memory and processor speed in even a small form factor phone would be more than good enough for things like web surfing, taking notes and even watching movies. What is limiting the size is the need to intrgrate usable input devices and readable displays. With a virtual goggels and virtual keyboard setup, I could have a small phone, but still watch movies and surf the net with, say, a built in trackball. And I could take notes, or work on files on any flat surface when I get stuck in O'Hare again.

To:info@virtualdevices.net
From: Me
Subject: Vaporware

What's the deal, so you have something or not? Pictures of it actually projecting a keyboard would be nice. Somebody should tell your artist you can't see the cone of the laser in the air.

Forget that and sell your gravity defying PDA's and Cell phones that you have pictured at the bottom of the pdf.

To:info@virtualdevices.net
From: Me
Subject: Vaporware

What's the deal, so you have something or not? Pictures of it actually projecting a keyboard would be nice. Somebody should tell your artist you can't see the cone of the laser in the air.

Forget that and sell your gravity defying PDA's and Cell phones that you have pictured at the bottom of the pdf.