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Slick Laptop Designs and Concepts

By Smashing Editorial, March 31st, 2008 in Inspiration | 91 Comments | Forum

Laptop design doesn’t have to be boring. Although often laptops look exactly as we expect them to look like, there is a number of design solutions and approaches which are completely different — unusual, creative, beautiful and damn useful. In fact, over the last years designers came up with a number of interesting concepts which have somehow stuck between the prototyping stage and the production stage. Nevertheless, much is possible. And this post is supposed to prove this point.

Below we present innovative laptop designs and laptop concepts. Many of the products listed below are prototypes and aren’t available yet, and it’s unknown whether they’ll be released over the next years. However, they give us an idea of what we should expect from laptops over the years to come.

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Siafu

The Siafu concept notebook, designed for the blind by Jonathan Lucas, omits a display altogether. Images from applications and Web sites are converted into corresponding 3-D shapes on Siafu’s surface.” [ via PCWorld ]

Cario

Cario notebook from Anna Lopez can be carried around by its handle, positioned like an easel or placed on a car’s steering wheel. When the car’s not in motion, the Cario can project maps, video conferences and more onto the windshield. [ via PCWorld ]

MacTab

MacTab
Being portable, MacTab is the complement to MyBook in the high-end. The thin wireless keyboard is used as a protection cover for transportation. On the back of the computer a hinge allows it to be put in a vertical position so you can use it on your desk.

Sungjut TangoX

Sungjut TangoX Nano UMPC has a DVI output and a detachable, integrated Skype phone. Weight: under 1kg. Unbelievable. [ via Gizmodo ]

Dialogue’s Flybook V33

Dialogue is going to release the Flybook V33i series with a laptop screen which can be moved across its axis. A nice alternative to a static laptop screen we’ve seen over the last years.

Vaio Zoom

The Vaio Zoom notebook takes everything we know about holographic technology and squeezes it inside a thin glass form factor. When off, the screen is completely transparent and the keyboard goes opaque. Turn it on and the touchscreen holographic festivities begin. Even the mouse buttons are holographic! [via Gizmodo]

Music Stand Laptop

Music Stand Laptop
Use the pedal to turn digital sheet music or just touch the screen. It also throws in some computer functions by allowing on the fly scoring, note taking, and collaborative writing. When you need a real computer, a keyboard slides out from underneath the screen and use the foot pedal as a stereo to enjoy the music you just played. Designed by Sungho Lee.

LG e-Book Laptop

LG e-Book Laptop Concept
LG introduced e-Book, an ecological laptop concept that uses fuel cell batteries and features organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology. This concept notebook received a Red Dot Award nomination for “Best Concept Design”.

Compenion

Felix Schmidberger’s Compenion laptop has a OLED touch screen. The computer itself has an OLED touchscreen, where you can directly work on, much like with a umpc or pda. The whole screen is a slider, as it can be moved forward to reveal a second OLED touchscreen underneath, where you can have a keyboard or working controls, similar to a setup with 2 monitors.

Purity Notebook

Purity Notebook: right now the in thing with notebook computers are clean lines, and minimal design features. The Purity Notebook takes that to the extreme but manages to throw in a few of its own unique touches like the high lacquer finish.

MacBook 0801

MacBook 0801 is a laptop concept by Isamu Sanada. The keyboard is transparent and ultra-thin.

Wood Laptop

“Laptop Made Of Wood. Yes, that’s right, wood. Nevermind the weight and horrible heat insulation characteristics of the material, it’s supposed to look refined and sexy, at which it does.”

DesCom

Sung-kyu Nam’s DesCom laptop integrates into the desktop surface. And what do you have to do once the laptop is dead or should be repaired?

ThinkPad Reserve Edition

Lenovo/IBM’s Thinkpad is coming back, in a new outfit: Thinkpad reserve edition. The laptop’s components are separated; dual-monitor can be placed on the surface allowing multiple people to observe what’s happening on it.

Satellite Navigation Laptop

Satellite Navigation Laptop is Nikita Golovlev’s concept for travelers. Using an e-ink display, the ‘Traveller’ is a GPS enabled navigation system for pedestrians. The design incorporates an internal drive for storing any photos you take along the way and will tag the with GPS data, so you know just where you took them.

Solar Notebook

Solar-power laptop is supposed to save you the trouble of charging batteries by plugging them in. The notebook is powered with the help of powerful batteries that are recharged by wide Solar Panel attached to the computer (currently offline).

Haier’s Laptop/Tablet PC

Haier has announced a laptop/tablet PC which folds down into a tablet, replete with handwriting recognition and has a 8.6-inch widescreen tablet display. Price: $4,790.

Folding Multi-Display

This laptop has a folding multi display which is supposed to be used as a server. Expected to be available in 2008.

Laptop Designs - AVING USA - Global News Network

Axiotron’s Tablet Mac

Axiotron’s Modbook, the MacBook-based, Wacom-modified laptop is the world’s first OS X tablet. Price: $2,290.

Gelfrog

For its annual design issue, The New York Times wanted to include a futuristic laptop for teenagers. The project’s main thrust was to re-think the future of education and then construct a laptop that would best deliver that vision. The end result is The Gelfrog, a dynamic, portable device concept that enables new educational experiences without sacrificing the need for individuality.

myBook

myBook might be the lightest portable Mac ever. Small, light and semi-rugged, It roots deeply in Alan Kay Dynabook’s dream. The touch-sensitive screen is readable in bright daylight thanks to the use of a new transflective generation of LCD screen. The screen rotates 180°. In that position, keyboard and trackpad are inoperative and the screen goes in portrait mode.

Last Click

Handle-it for Black 13″ MacBook…
That’s such a simple design, but so useful and nice. This Mac-handle is constructed of aircraft aluminum, so it will make sure the laptop doesn’t fall down when you carry it around. Price: $49.99.

Laptop Designs - Handle-it for Black 13

The Laptop Family
No, that’s not a new concept, but it looks incredible. From Apple Powerbook 180 with Mac OS 8 to iBook g3 with OS X 10.4. “This is an actual photo. Every screen is showing exactly whats behind it - relative to the camera, which was on a tripod. The most difficult task was to convince the old powerbook 180 to show a simple jpeg. Netscape Navigator 3 did it.”

Published in Inspiration, March 31st, 2008
Tags: concepts, gadgets, inspiration, laptop

1.

Edwin (March 31st, 2008, 3:15 am)

Awesome!
2.

Nikna (March 31st, 2008, 3:53 am)

Nice post.

btw. those laptops on last photo are not all from mac family :) at least second one seems to be IBM
3.

Fredrik (March 31st, 2008, 4:01 am)

Nice!
4.

Arthur (March 31st, 2008, 4:07 am)

Intel had a pretty sweet laptop concept too, check out Link [www.crunchgear.com]
There’s more if you google “intel laptop concept”
5.

Ben Jacob (March 31st, 2008, 4:19 am)

Concepts. Concepts… Concepts.. Only Concepts every where.. But not stuffs alive.
Any way the capability of its designers must be reputed !
6.

Pete (March 31st, 2008, 4:42 am)

I love that final picture. The multi screen laptop looks pretty cool all be it a bit ugly compared to the others though.
7.

Farishta (March 31st, 2008, 4:50 am)

wooooooowwww ! thanks for this article, i was wondering where researches were to improve our comfort ! Those prototypes make me now very impatient hahahahaa
8.

Marius (March 31st, 2008, 5:06 am)

Nice, but ineffective for me.

How can I code on that ?
9.

Hill (March 31st, 2008, 5:08 am)

The handle isn’t all that great. After awhile the magnet used to keep the Mac closed becomes very sensitive, so when you grab it by the handle it the laptop flies open. The Mac Tab and Zoom Vaio are sweet though!
10.

Dannie Jost (March 31st, 2008, 7:53 am)

lots of sweet designs - i can not quite warm up to handles on a notebook… like i can not warm up to the idea of handles in a book… a bag is a bag, a notebook is still in the book category, it goes in the bag.
11.

Newton Calegari (March 31st, 2008, 8:00 am)

Post muito bom!
Very Post :)

I Love Smashing Magazine :D
12.

VTFootballGrad (March 31st, 2008, 11:10 am)

There allot of awesome new ideas. I know someone with one of the super skin notebooks and hasn’t really liked it so far because it doesn’t function as well as a normal book.
13.

Naveed (March 31st, 2008, 11:59 am)

GREAT.,,,,,i wish i gud have that MAC one.. awesome
14.

Steve (March 31st, 2008, 3:29 pm)

Some of those are really impractical. Do you know how hard it is to type on a keyboard where the keys aren’t raised up?
15.

hanoi (March 31st, 2008, 6:29 pm)

Nice post, see it, and never have it

I wish …
16.

Sreckjo Bradic (March 31st, 2008, 11:44 pm)

Excellent topic and it is great to see what is new in the design of laptops. Hope that my next machine will be Axiotron’s Tablet Mac.

Best regards,

Srecko Bradic

Link [www.sreckobradic.com]
17.

Sajid (March 31st, 2008, 11:52 pm)

Hey readers can anybody tell me the URL of that Hosting Site which was advertised in top banners few days before ?? Thanks in Advance…
18.

dancelady (April 1st, 2008, 2:29 am)

These Laptop designs are awesome
19.

Shane (April 1st, 2008, 3:44 am)

Amazing stuff. The future is certainly going to be very interesting.
20.

Saulo (April 1st, 2008, 6:55 am)

:-o Woo!
21.

Braintrove.com (April 1st, 2008, 1:00 pm)

Love the look of the Vaio. Could definitely go for the 3-displays. Haier’s raised screen is nice as most laptop screens are just too low.
22.

Dylan (April 1st, 2008, 7:16 pm)

I don’t think I would trust carrying my 1500 dollar Macbook with a handle.
23.

Ara P. (April 3rd, 2008, 1:52 am)

cool!! awesome concept!! i wanna get one :)
24.

sauravh singh (April 3rd, 2008, 6:02 am)

coolllllllllll
25.

fr33mumia (April 3rd, 2008, 4:05 pm)

holy cow..very very kewlll concept design (applause)
26.

Robert Marbun (April 3rd, 2008, 5:38 pm)

great!
smashing mag should give one of those for free
27.

Loren (April 3rd, 2008, 7:14 pm)

touch screen laptops are so cool, but I bet they would be hard to use.
28.

Suli (April 7th, 2008, 12:05 am)

Don’t you think “sleek” should be used in the title instead of “slick?”
Definition:
- Sleek: (especially of hair, clothes or shapes) smooth, shiny and lying close to the body, and therefore looking well cared for; not untidy and with no parts sticking out

Anyway, great article! Love the Vaio design!
29.

jstokes (April 7th, 2008, 2:23 pm)

I will try this out. But I just spent some money on some icons at malltropolitan.com
30.

John (April 8th, 2008, 6:38 am)

I know Most stores have started carrying them now. I believe I saw something similar to the 2nd laptop and at a great deal too at malltropolitan.com though I can be too sure. One can also buy these things too from the manufacturers if one chooses to.
31.

gorka bengoa (April 8th, 2008, 10:18 am)

yo los quiero todossssssss
32.

stewie griffin (April 10th, 2008, 3:18 am)

About DesCom: Once it’s dead or needs repairing un-integrate it! And once you’ve done it - you’ll enjoy a nice shelf while your machine is being fixed :)
33.

ovlet (April 15th, 2008, 2:26 pm)

the ‘folding multi display’ laptop isnt even a laptop. Its a rackmount keyboard, mouse and display for a rack mounted server.
Do you even do any research for these articles or just use google images?
34.

zero (April 18th, 2008, 12:28 pm)

excellent
35.

harinderpal (April 20th, 2008, 10:09 am)

awesome models
36.

lepi__ (April 28th, 2008, 5:03 am)

me likey
37.

Sarunas Mikelevicius (May 27th, 2008, 5:01 am)

One thinkpad for me! :)
38.

kirit (June 4th, 2008, 2:34 am)

What amazing designs
39.

laptop (June 9th, 2008, 4:53 pm)

a good read.Link []
40.

paresh (June 14th, 2008, 12:38 am)

nice post, what a sexy looks.
41.

Natovr (June 15th, 2008, 6:56 am)

EXCELLENT! I love the first one the best — if only they can find a way for it to show colour :)
42.

محمود (August 12th, 2008, 10:04 pm)

دوست دارم یک MacTab داشته باشم
43.

phanichalla (October 7th, 2008, 6:20 pm)

awesome ….awesome … totally awesome ..
44.

adit (October 27th, 2008, 3:19 am)

wwwooooaaaaaaaaawww…
awesome laptop design i have seen.
45.

Celina Gomes (October 29th, 2008, 2:31 am)

Wow! these designs are beyond imagination.
46.

kalyan (November 25th, 2008, 9:53 pm)

I am totally impressed with all the designs…
Hats off to Human Intelligence….
World Expect much more out of you folks… Keep going..
47.

morgan (December 31st, 2008, 2:27 pm)

People don;t even know what to invent now. But when they come out I will buy each one of them. I know I’m rich! Actually i’m billionare. So fetch. That means awesome in London. So cool my friends. If your lesbians, it’s much better.
48.

Abhi (January 2nd, 2009, 2:45 am)

Its amaging lapy pictures ,
I fall in love with These laptops
Thx 4r showing these lapy
49.

Gian (January 9th, 2009, 11:35 pm)

wow!! can’t wait for the future! XD
50.

gatotwibowo (January 14th, 2009, 3:57 pm)

Nice post and thanks.
51.

Thompson@Cheap compu (February 18th, 2009, 9:56 pm)

This sure is the laptop of our future generation. The way things are moving you can never know where we will be in times to come.
52.

Burçlar (March 14th, 2009, 3:43 am)

i’m in love Vaio Zoom its really great design
53.

Thomson @Cheap computer (March 22nd, 2009, 11:46 pm)

Fast pacing world ,fast pacing technology the out come is limitless.
54.

kessia (April 12th, 2009, 2:28 pm)

nossa são lindos! um dia ainda vou possiur um desses.
55.

Katie (April 23rd, 2009, 10:24 pm)

Mind blowing !!!!!!!
Awesome collection
56.

Harry (May 8th, 2009, 11:56 pm)

Harry Mulisch is een waardeloze prul
57.

dalton gray (May 11th, 2009, 6:01 pm)

these laptops suck i saw a laptop that looks like a pen and it projects the key board on the desk and projects the screan on the wall
58.

swapna (May 12th, 2009, 2:11 am)

very nice…………
superb..
59.

jameil.knott (May 12th, 2009, 5:15 pm)

i think all the laptops are very uniqe in there own ways and i think they al will be a very good use in there owm=n ways but io t depends on how people use them……
60.

Mikkel (May 24th, 2009, 12:58 am)

Thats awesome, the mactab is really sick! love it!
61.

ramil o. (May 30th, 2009, 8:16 pm)

where to order macbook 0801?
62.

ramil o. (May 30th, 2009, 8:22 pm)

i mean mac 0801
63.

sujeet (July 9th, 2009, 2:49 am)

Good to c the latest designs of laptops

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