Computers have come a long way over the last 30 years. It seems like it was just yesterday that you were playing on an Apple IIe with its broccoli green and black screen. Remember the large floppy discs we used to use? How about the 3 1/2“ floppy that, by today’s standards, would hold 1/3 of an mp3 that’s on your computer? In 1983, Apple reinvented the computer with the first internal hard drive, and we thought it was the greatest invention ever as it brought Apple to the forefront of the computer industry. Today, our desktop computers have hard drives that are measured in terabytes, and graphics that are closer to realism than ever. But where is the world headed with all of this technology? We think we’ve got a bit of a prediction, but no one’s ever gotten it completely right…so here goes nothing.
Our first prediction is already coming to life, but users will no longer use handheld phones to interact with people as well as online communication. Computers in the form of glasses or sunglasses will be the interface that surrounds the vision of our real world. While naturists certainly won’t appreciate these, it will allow us to never be glued to a smartphone again. The future of computers will exist through these glasses, and we’ll be able to make phone calls, send texts, and even surf the web. Through the simple motion of our eyes, we can simulate the click of a mouse and let the glasses be our connection to the internet world.
The desktop computer will be completely phased out in 30 years. The future of computers has become all about portability and wireless control. The desktop, in today’s technological advancements, is an old and clunky piece of equipment. Microtechnology will continue to evolve, and we’ll be able to hold the same computing power of today on the tip of our fingers. The mouse and keyboard will be the first elements to go. Through the evolution of touchscreens and voice commands, we’ll see a world similar to the movie Minority Report
Finally, the internet should disappear within 30 years as well. We know this is a big stretch, and we can’t say for sure what we think it will be replaced with, but our methods of communication over online resources will change for good and for the better. The internet as we know it today will no longer be sufficient for the communication lines that need to have open in the year 2040. If you’ve got the passion, you could be the one who makes their mark with a worldwide change in the future of computers.