I’ve been interested in pen based computing since high school. I remember in elementary school I was lusting after a laptop being advertised with the financial paper on weekends. And a family friend joked with me that I should wait for the smaller laptops of the future, “palmtops”. And he held out his hand like it would sit on his palm and be typed on with his other hand. At the time I didn’t appreciate it, I wanted a laptop after all.

Me of little faith. When the PalmPilot came out a few years later and I read about the Apple Newton, my savings were reallocated.

I believed Gates when he would talk about tablets being the future. Especially learning about little slate tablets in school houses before mass paper or cuniform tablets of lore.

Even the Windows XP Tablet computer I procured after college felt different. Like holding it in my lap wherever I went actually changed the thoughts and emotions I would have.

So, standing in line today I have some mixed perspectives about the device.

The XO-3 concept design unveiled late last year, and at the time I wondered I it made sense.

http://i.engadget.com/2009/12/22/olpc-shows-off-absurdly-thin-xo-3-concept-tablet-for-2012/

I trust in Yves Behar, but coming from an older school of thought, it can be hard to let go of the past ideas of the future. But if anything, the iPad releasing today is perhaps setting the model for kids in the future. Indistinguishable from magic, we grew up with the idea of a natural tablet and touch interfaces from Star Trek if nothing else. I’m sure others can point further back. But a child today will look at the iPad and the captain’s log and wonder why space ships have antiquated technology.

On the edge of reality. We live on the edge of reality and it’s hard to look over it. For our generation, as we try to think of what we could do with the toys and infrastructure we build, it’s going to be increasingly difficult, burdened with the memories of the old way.

Remember when Apple was about to wither away? And Microsoft invested, saving competition?

The OLPC project seems to be on the edge of reality. It’s unfortunate that even technologist like myself cannot fond the time to pour energy into a thing like Sugar and the XO.

But now I’m excited. Because if the XO goes the direction of the XO-3, and my hope is that mass demand for this class of consumer products will drive the cost down. And if everyone starts to have a tablet, we won’t care as much about the form factor.

Our world will become software. That’s why today is especially exciting.