The diminishing size of the chip has recently enabled researchers to develop a PC that clips on to a belt. An IBM prototype of such a system weighs less than a pound and is about the size of a Walkman radio, yet packs the power of a laptop. The monitor, an eyepiece that clips onto a headset, sits in front of the eye, as close as a pair of glasses. It is so close to the eye that the monitor, which is slightly larger than a pencil eraser, projects the image of a 14-inch screen. The 2-ounce device features a miniature antenna and a lithium battery that lasts 100 hours on standby.
Callers dial by saying a name or phone number.
A one-chip computer would lower the cost of manufacturing, reduce power consumption and boost processing speed. Such technology is more complicated than it might seem at first glance because it would mean combining radio frequency, analog and digital chips on one device that requires little battery power. Yes, you will continue to stare at PC monitors, said Microsoft's Gates. The keyboard won't be as dominant, but it will still be the input device. Others, however, say speech recognition devices could practically displace the keyboard.