Arc demos Nalu curved laptop

July 14, 2010 | 10:00

Tags: #3d #3d-laptop #3d-notebook #arc #concept #curved-display #curved-oled #oled

Companies: #arc-computers

Arc, a small start-up based in Washington, has come up with a concept device that is sure to be a love-it-or-hate-it design: a curved notebook with a 3D-ready OLED display.

Showcased in a series of YouTube videos - via Netbooknews - the Nalu 3D Computer features a curved body - and a curved display to match - which its designer, David Prokop, believes will make it more ergonomic to use.

Curved keyboards have always had their proponents who claim such devices allow their users to hold their hands at a more natural angle, but curved screens - at least, curved screens that aren't massive and designed to provide a sense of immersion - are a new concept; a curved laptop is doubly new, and it's a design that could struggle to catch on despite its alleged benefits.

Aside from being unique and eye-catching - not to mention a pain in the fundament to pack into a standard laptop case - the Nalu concept has a real purpose: the 3D display, its creators claim, will offer a more natural image with less risk of eye strain in its curved form than if - as is the case with traditional laptop designs - the display was flat.

There are, of course, other advantages to a curved casing - including better ventilation on the underside for critical components - but it's such a radical design that it's unlikely to appeal to the mass market.

The prototype device can be seen in action over on YouTube, while additional videos show an employee typing on the curved keyboard and more detail of the curved case.

So far Arc hasn't announced any pending products, but the company's executive summary suggests that it is hoping to "partner with interested parties to build and/or license the technology with the goal of bringing new products to market," rather than build the devices itself.

Does the Nalu look like the kind of laptop you'd be interested in, or is the curved casing likely to be too cumbersome for anything other than a desktop replacement? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
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