A cut above the rest

New concepts, some astonishing and others much-awaited, have seen consumers dump old favourites and rush to the stores for better, younger and more beautiful replacements.

One such concept is the irresistible roll-up laptop. The idea first kicked off in 2006, when Dr Keith Seffen, Senior Lecturer in Structural Engineering at Cambridge, created a prototype. Last year, IT editors were raving about the Rolltop concept by German designer Evgeny Orkin, which would combine the laptop monitor and graphic tablet into one gadget, while basing other components in a cylinder that the screen would roll around. However, the backing of a multinational is imperative to bring his idea to fruition.

The fascination with prototypes continues. This year, the most interesting concept to hit the markets is the world's first eye-controlled laptop prototype from Tobii Technology developed with Lenovo. Besides zooming pictures or maps, the computer can also auto-dim and brighten the screen when it recognises your eyes.

"We have partnered with Tobii Technology for many years on by bringing their latest products and services in the fields of assistive technology for the disabled and the research tools for academia and market research companies to the Middle East and North Africa," said Camille Matta, Managing Director of Consort World. But costs are a consideration in the long run. "To reach a state where the [new] technology is part of the average computer, we need to make it smaller and cheaper," said Henrik Eskilsson, CEO of Tobii Technology.

"We believe that this can be realised in a couple of years by partnering with the right manufacturer," added Eskilsson. The wait will be worth the while.

Visible innovations

Next on my list is Samsung's OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display laptop, which was also unveiled last month as a prototype with a 40 per cent translucent OLED 14-inch screen. The manufacturer did not wish to elaborate on the concept when contacted.

There have been plenty of innovations in notebook screens before, from tilting and swivelling ones to products with two LCDs and even a slide-out LCD from Lenovo. But will transparency be the future?

For now, for those who want to be noticed, Sony Vaio plans to launch a 3D notebook later this year, but has just rolled out the C series, which absorbs light and re-emits it in different wavelengths as a rather dramatic glow along the edges of the translucent PC lid and other surfaces.

Meanwhile, gamers everywhere are breathlessly awaiting the much written about Alienware M14x but a Dell spokesperson said that "this product has not been announced yet and we have nothing further to share on future Alienware products at this time." Fans are nevertheless currently drooling over the new Alienware M17x, Dell's first 3D-capable gaming laptop.

She added when it comes to the notebook market, consumer computing and enterprise computing are converging, but are not the same. "New workers want business-class tools with consumer appeal," she said. Such as the Latitude, a laptop armoured with a hard-wearing casing, a brushed aluminium display back, a spill-resistant keyboard and a magnesium alloy internal structure for increased system stiffness. Joy for the clumsy among us.

Limited options

The main issue faced by consumers in the Middle East is that of limited options, said Nicholas Rego, Senior Games Journalist at MEGamers.com. "Manufacturers usually release 13-inch, 15-inch and 17-inch [laptops], but when it comes to the 11-inch model, then one has to usually ship it. Customisation is another issue in the Middle East market, which is treated differently when compared with the US or Europe. Often, you have to order the components separately from third party suppliers, which works out expensive. The level of customisation is not as robust as it is in the other parts of the world," said Rego. "Again, corporate clients get preference to a retail buyer who is as essential to the business, but neglected."

He noted that chiclet-style keyboards are hot right now. While MacBook Air from Apple, Vaio from Sony and HP are popular when it comes to design appeal, owning an Alienware is still the design statement for gamers.

In the end, costs will dictate whether a prototype hits the market or remains a concept. "OLED is very expensive and manufacturers will bear that in mind. Consumers might not go in for a laptop where 80 per cent of costs arise from the screen," he said.

Dreams cost.