10 things that every laptop should have nowdays
José Elías - March 18th 2007
Note: You may find a spanish version of this article here.

1. Allow us to use the laptop's built-in screen as a TV monitor for other devices (like external video game consoles, external analog/digital cable, secondary monitor for another machine, etc). In other words, let me use the LCD screen as a separate entity. It'd be nice if we could detach it for this purpose as well. As a bonus, include a remote control to operate it.

2. Modularize laptops so we can easily upgrade its CPU or GPU. I'm sure this will create an even bigger laptop market, just like it did for desktop PCs.

3. Ingregate GPS functionality, along with a password-protected BIOS setting to enable it or disable it.

4. Multi-touch screens like the Apple iPhone. HP already has one model that does this, and it is rumored that Apple will implement it across its whole product line. This would be great for presentations, music programs, POS point-of-sale applications, video games, etc.

5. Built-in accelerometer to detect movement and rotation in any direction. Apple already has this, but this has a lot of potential when coupled with the GPS function outlined above to report back over the Internet exactly where a lost or stolen laptop is. It's also be great for detecting the screen orientation when displaying a GUI, for games, as a musical instrument, for protecting the system in case of sudden movements, and for scientific experimentation, among other things.

6. Allow us to replace the built-in hard drive for some sort of solid-state memory. I know this exists but it is too expensive, so how about creating a standard form factor spec so that all makers of such devices can compete on similar terms driving prices down?

7. RAID support. You can count with the fingers in your hand how many laptops offer this, but this should really be an option on most laptops nowdays, specially when you take into account how often laptop drives fail (I deal with this problem at least once every two months with my family members). This way, if one drive fails the other continues operating and warns the user to replace it before data is lost.

8. Allow us to share built-in devices with other laptops or PCs via the USB port. In other words, I should be able to connect by laptop to my PC and automatically have the PC recognize the laptop's built-in DVD burner and allow me to use it as an external USB DVD burner. The same for webcams, hard drives, WiFi equipment, etc. For this purpose the laptop can have an A-to-B USB cable connector (similar to printers or digital cameras) so it is not mistaken for the other type of USB connector.

9. Allow us to access the music, images and videos stored in the hard drive, as well as media placed into the DVD tray, without turning the machine on. In other words, like a single-function device so we don't have to deal with booting into the OS just to play a movie. I know some laptops offer this in a limited way, but every laptop should be able to do this.

10. A remote control. Apple already does this with his machines, but this should be part of every laptop on the market. This would be great for suggestion #1 and #9 above, and it'd be very useful for presentations, video games, and to control other multimedia equipment in the home (like a Home Theater setup).

 


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