A friend and I were talking about this recently, and he mentioned that he'd love to just carry around a single device that he could use for all his computing, but that it would have to have all the features of an iPhone or G1, plus the ability to use a regular keyboard, mouse, and screen when he was at home. With such a device, a laptop that was basically just a peripheral bed for the phone/device would be useful, as well, for that typable keyboard.
I think we're almost there, but not quite. The requisite features could be built into current-tech devices, but aren't, at the moment.
I'm waiting for something like this to mature.
What would be perfect is something just like form factor wise it but with the possibility of some sort of fold out/flexible screen (maybe a a built in laser projector?)
The next 5 years are going to be very exciting in the mobile computer market.
Best new product of 2001? They're not quite Duke Nukem Forever yet, but small powerful battery powered PDAs are here, pocket projectors are here to sidestep the small screen/low res problem, all we need are good small portable keyboard-replacements, and where's senseboard's ideal looking product? Floating about in Vapourware unfinished probably abandoned land, that's where. :(
Are you a recent startup seller not sure what to do with your newfound millions? Looking for a good cause? Reduced to blogging about learning Salsa dancing? Go give Senseboard a push, they're dead in the water!
Right now I'd be happy with a device that had a dongle that you could connect DVI to, and accepted a bluetooth keyboard and mouse. Higher speed internet than my 3G is a nice-to-have, but not essential.
Incremental advancements will make them -better-, but current generation devices are already there.
Every single person I've seen get a Blackberry, iPhone or android device has seriously curtailed their laptop usage. They've also (almost annoyingly) increased the degree to which they reach for their mobile apps, for tasks that could never justify pulling out the laptop.
It's reminiscent of the way that early laptops, while not yet sufficient to replace any desktop, still significantly ate into desktop usage.
The 'tipping point' he postulates is yet to come has already passed. In my opinion, Nokia's n770 was probably the last device that wasn't -quite- there. Everything after has been plenty capable hardware-wise.