Supreme Irony

Written by Dan Carlson • @minutiaeman@tenforward.social

Published March 31, 2010

Sometimes the world just seems to want you to laugh. Especially at someone who seems to have no sense of irony. Take, for example, this choice quote from the beginning of David Pogue’s review of the iPad:

“This device is laughably absurd,” goes a typical remark on a tech blog’s comments board. “How can they expect anyone to get serious computer work done without a mouse?”

Thirty years ago, someone probably said the exact same thing, except that they probably wondered how anyone could get serious work done with a mouse.

I don’t know exactly what the future will be like. But I know it’ll be cooler than anyone imagined. Fifteen years ago, we watched Jake Sisko edit his novels with a stylus and PADD in his lap. Today we’ve got touchscreens clearly inspired by—but just as clearly superior to—those same little tablet computers.

What kind of technology will we be using thirty years from now?