I've never seen us go "back" to any technology in anything other than aesthetics which seem to cycle. If I knew what was coming next though, I'd probably go build it. I bet it is exciting, technically currently difficult, and will make a lot of money.
Neural interfaces seem a little too far forward though, it seems like you'd need another generation to have that be socially "normal," and that they'll need their own cultural bridge technology. There must be something between an iPad and neural interfaces which lets us casually and continuously wander in and out of the internet.
a pair of glasses (in which you can see a screen--or transparency for augmented reality) with full voice control. Bluetooth keyboard and trackpad optional for productivity usage. Can also control via iPhone or iPad.
I've been saying for a while that I think the "next thing" is high-powered cellphones acting as a computing device (providing storage, connectivity, and processing power), with several different types of devices acting as dumb terminals.
If you're at home or at work, your keyboard and monitor auto-connect to your cellphone to provide a full-sized screen. If you're on the go, you use your cellphone as-is, or you use an eyepiece or tablet as an alternate display. Ideally, the main apps you use would provide appropriate user interfaces for each situation.
I think you're basically correct, but the docking devices are likely to be more than dumb terminals in some cases. At work that cellphone may plug into another device which provides additional, higher-speed processor cores.
I like this! I think the glasses are great because everybody wants to look important and busy while they waste their time on facebook and hacker news, and the glasses are right in line with that. Voice control I think won't catch on in public though, the blind have had access to it for years and despite the obvious benefits to them they just don't seem to enjoy it, it is too public. Once again, you want to look important while you waste your time. I could buy into the idea of a keyboard showing up on the glasses and then a camera catching your typing against a table though.
Neural interfaces seem a little too far forward though, it seems like you'd need another generation to have that be socially "normal," and that they'll need their own cultural bridge technology. There must be something between an iPad and neural interfaces which lets us casually and continuously wander in and out of the internet.