The Laptop Revolution

If you are thinking about buying a laptop in the near future, DON’T. There are a couple of major changes that will be occurring in the computer market which will drastically change the laptop landscape.
First, there is Windows 7. I have successfully tested the Beta (pre-release) version of this replacement for Vista and I was extremely impressed. I was able to run this system on a 5-year old laptop with very little in the way of upgrades of problems. While there are a number of features that make this a great system, the most prominent is it’s touch interface. That’s right, I said touch interface. If you don’t know what that is, think iPhone or iPod touch. This new system supports many of the same features you see with touch screen phones for laptops and desktops. So what does this mean? By the time Christmas rolls around, we will see a large boost in touch screen laptops. Interaction directly with the screen instead of the mouse means a much easier and more pleasant computer experience. Next month I will discuss the benefits of these types of interfaces for college students (and they are tremendous!).
Second, a revolution in the way laptops are being made stands poised to take the laptop market by storm. A British company has developed a new way of designing processors so that the entire working of a laptop fit on a single $20 microprocessor. What this means is that we could easily see laptops which could start at $100 by Christmas. This evolution has been fueled by the rising popularity of Netbooks in recent months.
So, once again, hold onto that old laptop a few more months more and it will pay dividends. Windows 7 is for real, and tiny, cheap laptops are on the way!
Next month I will discuss the benefits of Touch Screen Laptops to your college bound student along with a brief discussion on what netbooks are and if they are right for you.