Visions of the Commodore PET.

A laptop where the keyboard raises up at an angle is very nice. I would wonder though if a real version would slide the keyboard up, or if the laptop would fold down in an irregular shape.

An end to the recent idiotic manufacturing trend to make things so rounded they're in danger of rolling off. I wish they'd do this with radios and camcorders.

One of the things that takes up space on a laptop is the touchpad... to include the touchpad, the keys have to be made thinner on small laptops.

By layering the keyboard above the touchpad when closed, this allows for a larger keyboard + touchpad on the same "footprint".

Really clever idea.

... a PC with some style.

Actually looks quite nice, albeit not dissimilar to another manufacturers earlier foray into white plastic...

Ah wait... There are no stickers all over it!! Wait until the Beast of Redmond's marketing get hold of it!

ronseal.

Now that is COOL. Looks superb, far more funky than a Dell in some crap colour and it's not a Mac, bonus!

You say that like it's a bad thing.

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, the late-'70s version. Maybe "retro-futuristic" would be a viable term for these?

Moreover any guesses how flimsy and plasticky that slide-up keyboard insert would be?

The PET? Looks more like an albino Psion 5.

Most of them are simply horrible...

I think the terminals you find all over the place in Fallout 3 are much better looking than those.

That looks cool - I love the ring-binder effect when it's closed.

Can I have one in titanium grey instead: it reminds me of the Lamborghini Reventón (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamborghini_Revent%C3%B3n)

Lovely C24 Minbari styling. Where's the crystal data storage port?

Mine's the one with the PPG in the pocket.

I think it was in Morgan computers (of all places) and I idly asked why laptops are now called "notebooks".

"Well, it's mainly because people are encouraged not to use them on their laps as it blocks the airflow to the vents at the bottom and they overheat. It can even burn your lap."

Cue Asus and a design that lifts the body of the machine off your lap so you can use it as a laptop. Smart.

Finally, a laptop for playing Elite on. Looks like this could manage a Fibonacci Sequence quite well...

Next stop: Tioisla

Economy: Poor Agricultural

Government: Anarchy

But I still just want one of those Speccy +2 looky-like keyboard things they're demoing...

as in stealth-bomber black with all those radar profile avoiding angles.

Re: "1980s" - Chris McKenna

Indeed. See also, Neon Neon's "Stainless Style" - a loose concept album based on the tumultuous life of De Lorean Motor Company founder John De Lorean - by Super Furry Animals front man Gruff Rhys and electronic artist Boom Bip.

Spanking good stuff and a recommended listen: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stainless_Style

Oh, ...the laptops? Yeah. Nice to see someone try something a little different. I do like that "ringbinder" look.

Another reminder that "computers" are moving ever closer to the point where the tech inside is not the primary motivator behind the purchase. Some might say we're there already with "underpowered" netbooks often being a more popular option than a machine with a more advanced inside, but less desirable outside.

The silvery last picture reminds me of an el-cheapo foldin calendar/clock/calculator combo that a vendor gave me about 10 years ago.

Need more avatars... I'm bored with these selections.

>"Some might say that we reached that point when a certain purveyor of nibbled fruit products put all the bits including the screen in a small grey box with a slot on the front........"

Fair point.

Computer tech has been racing forward over the years. Design has obviously been limited by the physical constraints of the tech. But until recently, of the main brands, only Apple (and too a lesser extent, Sony) have made consistent credible attempts at extinguishing the horrid "standard beige box" and "fake carbon fibre + go faster stripes" schools of design. And as the tech becomes smaller and cheaper, the rest of the industry has started to give more serious thought to design issues. Even unit-shifter Dell has been doing their best (and won me over with the XPS M1330).

While I'm no Apple fanboy (never owned one of their products - admired their ill fated "cube" tho), i have to admit that they've been consistently ahead of the curve in terms of looking pretty.

But looking pretty is not enough if the underlying tech merely performs a broadly similar task in a broadly similar way.

The big thing that seems to be occuring is the shift away from the idea of a computer as either a desktop box (however sleek and white) or a portable laptop (however sleek and white). We're now seeing quite a few *viable* new designs such as netbooks, iPodTouch/iPhone, Dell Studio Hybrid (EEE Box/Mac Mini/Suttle-alike), Asus' keyboard/mini-screen combo machine, Sony's wearable OLED prototypes etc...all of 'em offer a version of "computing" that differs from the 20th century concept of sitting down at a desk, using a mouse and keyboard.

Exciting times.

For what it's worth, I'd like a A4 sized iPodTouch-a-like with built in projector and camera. With all the attendant ways of making sure it's light enough, tough enough etc. A little way off, maybe, but not inconcievable. An ugly version could be sellotaped together today so it's just a case of time until the components are minaturised.

A calculator, alarm clock, radio, notepad, walkman, camera/camcorder, electronic fax machine and a freaky-futuristic-ceefax-machine... all in a dinky mobile phone handset. Who'da thunk it 15-20 years ago? We're already living in the future in so many ways that we take for granted every day.

Looks a bit like an MGT SAM Coupe (to my eyes).