Yep. Only 4. Right now, we've got a gamot of different devices, like cellphones, smartphones, personal media players, GPS units, desktop PCs, laptops, netbooks, smartbooks, nettops, tablets, slates, LCD and LED and plasma TVs, projectors, etc. Far too much crap to deal with. So here's the only 4 that will matter in a few years.
1) The cellphone. If you know me, you'll know this isn't a shock, but it's entirely true. My first instinct was to put the smartphone, but I think it'll take another 10 to 15 years for most phones to be smartphones. In 5 you can expect to hear that the smartphone has over taken the majority though. Even now, smartphones are not just phones with internet. They are our media players, our calendars, calcuators, GPS units, and more. The less crap filling our pockets and bags, the better.
2) The laptop/tablet hybrid. We all know how laptops are awesome. Some people like netbooks for reasons I don't understand (other than the built in ability for mobile broadband with your favorite wireless provider). And thanks mostly to the (largely unsubstantiated) rumors of an Apple tablet and the showings of HP and other manufacturers' tablets and slates at CES this year, tablets may just be the next big thing. The problem is that while there are a few uses for a tablet that a standard laptop has trouble with, but are not big enough issues to make much of a dent in laptop sales. The solution? Things like Lenovo's new U1 model. Looking at it, it looks like a normal laptop, but it just so happens to have a multitouch screen with your Windows 7 Home Premium. But then you take the screen off, and you see it running Lenovo's Skylight UI, making it a true tablet. HP came out with a similar design. You get the best of both worlds without having to choose, or dish out the extra money.
3) The home PC/TV unit. Similar to our pockets having too much crap, so do our homes, and the main thing is that it's not as connected as we'd probably like. While Microsoft is trying to bridge the gap with their connectivity with AT&T's U-Verse stuff, it's a bandaid on the wound. The solution to the connectivity issue is to just connect, or completely combine, the two units. I believe that we'll start seeing hybrids soon, and we may even see the wide use of home servers, making all your units one. Parents especially will love the ability to snoop that much easier.
4) This one is more of a bonus prediction than the other 3. It's Pranav Mistry's 6th Sense projection/camera based device. If you don't know what I'm talking about, Mistry's device is essentially a necklace with a video camera and a projector. The wearer also must wear 4 different colored finger tips, which the camera recognizes. Essentially, it does everything from read plane tickets and projects if it's late or not to playing a racing game by tilting a piece of paper (also some awesome stuff with graphs that I won't spoil for those who are just learning about it). It will especially be used by the deaf to audibly translate sign language. And if Mistry has his way, we'll see this at a surprisingly cheap cost so it's a realistic option for anyone.
There you have it, if you disagree at all, let me know in the comments!
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