The Mote In God’s Eye is considered by some to be the greatest science fiction novel of all time. It’s certainly a great read.
It was first published in 1970 and written by the dynamic duo of Larry Niven (who imagined Ringworld) and Jerry Pournelle (who invented the blog). The novel is set 1000 years in the future, where an interstellar human civilization is putting itself back together (as "The Second Empire of Man") following a dark ages that temporarily separated many worlds when the Empire of Man fell apart.
At the time the novel is set, people are walking around with pocketphones and pocketcomps.
The realization that those were coming was pretty prescient for Niven and Pournelle, especially back in 1970.
What they may not have realized was how soon those two items would be coming.
What they also didn’t appear to realize was that, just a few years after their appearance, the two devices would be merged so you only have to carry one doo-dad around in your pocket. Hence, many portable computers are also cell phones now.
I don’t have one of those, but I do have a cameraphone.
What else are cell phones likely to do for us in the near future?
At least we won’t have to wait for the Second Empire of Man to get these goodies.
