Always on Laptops

yapplejax writes "PortalPlayer is offering an interesting laptop technology to manufacturers which will allow information to be displayed without actually booting the computer. The addition will cost manufacturers a mere $30 - $40 and is supported by Vista via the feature "SideShow"." From the article: "PortalPlayer kept down the costs of Preface by using a display used in mobile phones, rather that developing one specially, to take advantage of the economies of scale in the phone market, Johnson said. The costs will include $18 to $20 for a display, about $12 for the single-chip processor and a few dollars for memory and other small components, he said."

Comments

How about this...

[aarku]

I keep my laptop on in sleep mode, and you keep your special display and processor.

I was hoping

[AKAImBatman]

And here I was hoping that someone had come up with a laptop that never needed to be turned off.

FWIW, it is possible to create a laptop that will power itself for years on end. Unfortunately, it would require that a consumer-focused Radioisotope Thermal Generator be developed that is far lighter weight than the current models. Even then, it will still add a few pounds to your laptop, but what's a little extra weight when you never need to plug in? ;-)

Sadly, the current anti-nuclear stance of the public makes such "nuclear batteries" an unlikely development. Just throw it atop the pile of cool technologies that have never seen the light of day. :-(

Re:I was hoping

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

Sadly, the current anti-nuclear stance of the public makes such "nuclear batteries" an unlikely development. Just throw it atop the pile of cool technologies that have never seen the light of day.

If you ever break your atomic battery, you'll never need the light of day again, as you'll glow in the dark rather spectacularly.