A fascinating piece this morning over in Fast Company on the future of the PC, as imagined by the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) foundation, which for all intents and purposes predicted the netbook revolution.
Basically, OLPC envisions a mashup of the rumored tablet PC technology just around the corner and a full netbook experience. It calls the prototype XO3. Fast Company describes the project like this:
Designed by Yves Behar, the XO3 is a totally different 21st-Century beast compared to the classic notebook design of the original XO: It’s a super-skinny plastic tablet/slate PC. Suited for its intended use out of the normal environment of PC use, the screen is actually plastic, so it’s resilient and slightly flexible. It’s also a multitouch device, laden with sensors so it can transform into book-reading or web-surfing mode. And, just like the original machine it’s got a dual-mode screen that works both in daylight or as a self-illuminated LCD (no surprises that the OLPC team has links with PixelQI).
But that 8.5 by 11-inch screen makes this device far from being a curio destined to transform the education of kids in far-flung, poor corners of the world. As does the design, which was driven by Negroponte’s request to make the thing “extremely simple and practically frameless.” As a result, there’s practically nothing separating the computer from the screen, just a thin trademark green rubber edge, a camera on the back and a finger loop for steadying the PC while it’s hanging from a belt. The screen and body of the XO3 mean the machine itself practically vanishes when it’s being used–the experience is delivered entirely on screen.
Here are some conceptual shots of the product:
Pretty cool, huh? The best pat is that the XO3 is targeted for a $75 price point. At that price, most people will be able to afford one, or a similar competing device.
No doubt this type of technology will happen. And it will continue the progression of the necessity of personal technology becoming synthesized into our daily lives.
I actually get excited when I think of the applications this type of technology can have in a church liturgy. Back in the day, churches used hymnals and prayer books to help guide people through the church service. Today, we use projection screens for the same purpose. This type of PC technology could usher in a new era of prayer book type liturgy with a digital twist, whereby a dedicated church worship planning program creates a file that has all the readings, songs, and accompanying multimedia streamed into each persons’ personal computing devise.
Does this type of technology excite you? What are some other applications you can think of for church services and ministry?