Here’s Andrew Zolli’s version of the Pocket PC of the future published at Popular Science. It’s similar to Jake Ehrlich’s design in some aspects.
I highly doubt that flexible large format OLED screens will be abundant and inexpensive by 2010. Just compare the difference between a PDA from the year 2000 to one from 2005. The only real innovative features added are the integration of Bluetooth, WiFi, and GSM/GPRS. They’ve also gotten a little smaller. But eye tracking for navigation? Folding OLED screens? Come on!
I don’t see eye-movement tracking as being a viable user interface just yet. Since I’m a heavy multitasker, I’m not always looking at what I’m doing. Often I’m looking at where I’m walking or driving. Eye tracking navigation would be horrible for that. A more realistic prediction might be that by 2010 PDA’s will have reliable voice recognition.
Another prediction was 400Kb/s broadband. 5 years ago I had unlimited 19.2Kbs CDPD wireless on my iPAQ for $60/mo. Today, I have unlimited 56Kbs GPRS wireless for $5/month. I’m pretty skeptical about the broadband wireless capabilities in 2010. It certainly won’t be widely available by then at any rate.
What’s with the projected keyboard and circular screen? We all know a projected keyboard will never be able to sense key taps that are shaded by other fingers. And given every human language is written in rectangular areas, obviously a circular screen will only make the usable area smaller.
What do you think portable digital assistants of the future will be like?
Originally published on Pocketnow on April 29, 2004. More Thought articles from the Pocketnow archive.