Fifth Form Factor for Computer Devices May Emerge by 2013
For those for whom four computer devices are not sufficient, Forrester Research offers the prospect of a fifth form factor, in its forecast The US Consumer PC Market In 2015 (Premium)
Selected excerpts:
We’ve said before that in an age in which consumers define their personal style through their devices, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a fifth form factor emerge in the next few years. We don’t know whether the next PC trend will be augmented-reality headsets, hologram-projecting watches, or devices embedded in furniture, but we see innovations coming from unexpected corners.
Companies that provide device components are branching into adjacent industries: For example, Qualcomm (QCOM)whose core business has been chipsets and CDMA infrastructure, has been promoting a display technology called mirasol that it has developed as a power-efficient, daylight-visible alternative to LCD.
Handset makers are experimenting, too: At the Mobile World Congress in February, Motorola (MOT) showed a prototype for a wearable computer with a 15-inch screen designed to fit under a construction helmet.18 Technologies that enable the next form factor could also come from academia-powered startups like Light Blue Optics, which designs holographic laser projectors that make any surface into a screen.
Consumers didn’t ask for tablets. In fact, Forrester’s data shows that the top features consumers say they want in a PC are a complete mismatch with the features of the iPad.20 But Apple (AAPL) is successfully teaching consumers to want this new device.
The same thing will likely happen with the next form factor: Supply-side innovation will spur consumer demand, not vice versa. Three years occurred between the emergence of netbooks with the ASUS Eee PC in 2007 and the emergence of tablets with the iPad in 2010. If the same pattern of tech innovation and digestion holds, we could see the next form factor find a toehold by 2013.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
