Looking at the laptops that went through my hands, the problems that I encountered were the following : ( no particular order, other than by memory )
- Southbridge or GPU failure due to cracking of RoHS solder (Toshiba, IBM, HP, Apple)
- Dead batteries (Samsung, Dell)
- Excessive heat (HP, Averatec/MSI, Samsung)
- Constant fan running with heavy dust accumulation (Acer, HP, Apple)
- Dead screen due to poor solder on display cable ( Samsung )
- Worn hinges ( Lenovo, Dell, Samsung )
- Noisy keyboards and loose keys ( HP, Acer, Compaq )
Negligence ( which good design may be able to prevent )
- Liquid spills
- Cat hair
- Picking it up by the screen
- Fingerprints on screen
- Broken USB ports
With less to no moving parts, a fully enclosed motherboard, like in the aluminium cased tablets, there is a decreased risk that the part can fail. A cracked screen is likely considering people sit on their cell phones, so people may also not want to have to think about being careful with their machines. It is also possible that people are more likely drop the more portable devices in water as they take them around everywhere they go.
Perhaps the laptop of the future will be like a large tablet with a wireless and mouse. Instead of being too small like a tablet, the screen size will be "normal" 14 -15 inches.
It may have to be a little bit thicker than a tablet - not for the components inside, but just to accommodate the possibility of it being twisted and warped.
Regarding power and ports, everything should be wireless. That would mean it would be less secure, but no chances of corroded connections, picking something up while plugged in etc.
Inductive chargers are nothing new. I recall an electric toothbrush from the 80s that used that technology. Now is it just a question of what we'll compromise in the design to accommodate a new component.
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