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MacBook in 2020
Put aside your critical ego for a moment and enjoy designer Tommaso Gecchelin’s vision of an Apple MacBook circa 2020. Keyboards, mice and 2-dimensional screens are passe. Hit the jump for the future.
Envisage a computer nearly paper thin, able to shape shift from metal to plastic. Thanks to molecular manufacturing, a micro-lattice nano material enables you to shrink the dimensions to fit into your pocket. Nano technology miniaturizes familiar technologies into thin sheets of composites, each serving a separate function. One layer is photo voltaic for infinite battery life. One layer projects ultrasound waves for tactile feedback. Another layer works like a pelican cam to capture the real world in 3D while a separate layer works like a holographic emitter. And of course, everything is wireless. No ports, no cables. I only have one question.
Will it blend?
Designer: Tommaso Gecchelin
61 Comments »
krevproductions says
This would be awesome to have the moment it were possible to have it be unbreakable and float back to it's owner in the moment it gets stollen…
Eric Mann says
Cool looking design … but I question whether or not we'll have that kind of technology in, what, 9 years? The original iPhone is over 4 years old (the original MacBook is just over 5), and the newer models have just been improvements, not revolutionary re-definitions. So I might believe "MacBook 2050" … but 2020 is wishful thinking.
tommasogecchelin says
If you read carefully the original presentation, you could see that almost all of that future technology already exists in prototype stage. (Look at "IBM 5 in 5", maybe holograms could be consumer reality in just 5 years). And, by the way, like Ray Kurzweil would say: "we live in exponential times"…
R3nrut says
Holographic technology is already being used in performance art in Japan. It's kinda eerie but cool… As far as a portable design? Sure why not… We saw dramatic changes brought on by the competition to bring a new age of smart phones when iPhone was introduced. I just takes a decent prototype that gets people really surging about it for investors to throw the cash at a new technology. Once that flood gate opens we'll see all sorts of awesomeness.
fervt88 says
I hope to see it on the market one day! I would love to have one! Nice concept!
krevproductions says
This would be awesome to have the moment it were possible to have it be unbreakable and float back to it's owner in the moment it gets stollen…
Eric Mann says
Cool looking design … but I question whether or not we'll have that kind of technology in, what, 9 years? The original iPhone is over 4 years old (the original MacBook is just over 5), and the newer models have just been improvements, not revolutionary re-definitions. So I might believe “MacBook 2050″ … but 2020 is wishful thinking.
tommasogecchelin says
If you read carefully the original presentation, you could see that almost all of that future technology already exists in prototype stage. (Look at “IBM 5 in 5″, maybe holograms could be consumer reality in just 5 years). And, by the way, like Ray Kurzweil would say: “we live in exponential times”…
Jimmy C says
I think he meant the shrinking part.
R3nrut says
Holographic technology is already being used in performance art in Japan. It's kinda eerie but cool… As far as a portable design? Sure why not… We saw dramatic changes brought on by the competition to bring a new age of smart phones when iPhone was introduced. I just takes a decent prototype that gets people really surging about it for investors to throw the cash at a new technology. Once that flood gate opens we'll see all sorts of awesomeness.
fervt88 says
I hope to see it on the market one day! I would love to have one! Nice concept!
adrenalinfeed says
I want one of those. Nice work!
butyourecooltoo says
Cool concept, but maybe a little farther off than 2020? then again, look how mad crazy far we’ve come in the last YEAR.
And, uh… don’t call it Kinect technology-that’s Microsoft. Apple wouldn’t advertise it like that.
Jimmy C says
And, uh… that second part? What did he just say about that critical ego?
butyourecooltoo says
Cool concept, but maybe a little farther off than 2020? then again, look how mad crazy far we’ve come in the last YEAR.
And, uh… don’t call it Kinect technology-that’s Microsoft. Apple wouldn’t advertise it like that.
adrenalinfeed says
I want one of those. Nice work!
butyourecooltoo says
Cool concept, but maybe a little farther off than 2020? then again, look how mad crazy far we’ve come in the last YEAR.
And, uh… don’t call it Kinect technology-that’s Microsoft. Apple wouldn’t advertise it like that.
Eddd222 says
If it would really be new technology being introduced in a consumer product, it wouldn't be an Apple.
They are very strong on marketing, but new technology isn't their thing. All the stuff apple launched in the last years was already available on the market, the only thing they did, (and very successful I might add) is wrapping it in a nice small design.
e.g. They added a phone feature to an MP3 player while everyone was already listening to music on their phone.
James McBride says
I think that's a massive over simplification of the iPhone 1. It was a revolutionary device, the first mass produced multi-touch cell phone and it set the current standard for all non-Blackberry smart phones. All touchscreen phones are now fullscreen rectangles, 4 icons up and 4 icons across, toolbar at the top and a dock at the bottom, swipe controls, multitouch etc etc. They have all copied as much as they can from the iPhone.
Remember, this was Apple's first attempt at a cell phone. Ever.
They didn't just add a "phone feature to an MP3 player".
Steve says
I agree with Eddd
It's still a smart phone at the end of the day, a "revolutionary device" isn't something that just raises the bar for a product already available. They were copied because they managed to hit the UI bang on the head and present it well. All of the best products in a market are copied in some way by their competitors.
Number of attempts a company has had at doing something makes the product itself no more impressive, just a bit more kudos to the company. I don't see how remembering it was apple's first attempt has any real significance.
Eddd222 says
If it would really be new technology being introduced in a consumer product, it wouldn't be an Apple.
They are very strong on marketing, but new technology isn't their thing. All the stuff apple launched in the last years was already available on the market, the only thing they did, (and very successful I might add) is wrapping it in a nice small design.
e.g. They added a phone feature to an MP3 player while everyone was already listening to music on their phone.
James McBride says
I think that's a massive over simplification of the iPhone 1. It was a revolutionary device, the first mass produced multi-touch cell phone and it set the current standard for all non-Blackberry smart phones. All touchscreen phones are now fullscreen rectangles, 4 icons up and 4 icons across, toolbar at the top and a dock at the bottom, swipe controls, multitouch etc etc. They have all copied as much as they can from the iPhone.
Remember, this was Apple's first attempt at a cell phone. Ever.
They didn't just add a “phone feature to an MP3 player”.
Steve says
I agree with Eddd
It's still a smart phone at the end of the day, a “revolutionary device” isn't something that just raises the bar for a product already available. They were copied because they managed to hit the UI bang on the head and present it well. All of the best products in a market are copied in some way by their competitors.
Number of attempts a company has had at doing something makes the product itself no more impressive, just a bit more kudos to the company. I don't see how remembering it was apple's first attempt has any real significance.
watermelon says
I can't find the "buy it" link.
watermelon says
I can't find the “buy it” link.
StereoTypo says
I just *love* it when designers don’t know anything about engineering, or physics for that matter, (to specify, I’m being critical of the “shrinking” feature).
tommasogecchelin says
As a graduated physicist I just "love" it too…
But, ok… I admit that "shrinking" feature is the only one not yet completely feasible.
(BTW, according to Moore's law around 2020 could be quite likely).
StereoTypo says
I just *love* it when designers don’t know anything about engineering, or physics for that matter, (to specify, I’m being critical of the “shrinking” feature).
tommasogecchelin says
As a graduated physicist I just “love” it too…
But, ok… I admit that “shrinking” feature is the only one not yet completely feasible.
(BTW, according to Moore's law around 2020 could be quite likely).
ardi says
tony stark had the better one
ardi says
tony stark had the better one
apprigooglsoft says
tjis concept begs a lot of questions to be asked…so im going to ask the none obvious one its formed with nano technology and can atomaticlu change its size and texture what happens if te magnetic bond acting as a hige is broken?Would it then be two seperate devices?
For that matter would that make it bud of and form another keyboard screen pair?
aditia says
waow thin as paper and hope more environtment friendly
scott says
And it only cost’s 10,000 dollars
NYinker says
Well. Not very likely now that Steve is gone…. I will miss that tricky bastard and his bravery to change the status quo. Bravery needed in project like that one.
renniejay says
amazing concept…
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