I'm an exec in the technology industry, so my thoughts...

In the now, and the short-term future, Dave is right. Computers are the way go to. They're the only platform that provides the power we're talking about.

But the execs and the folks doing skunk works projects in Redmond for Microsoft think the computer is a fundamentally flawed/limited interface. It takes people away from their everyday life and sits them in front of a screen with a typewriter and mouse...a weird UI that's designed by the IT world for IT people and other technicians. Currently, it is the only platform where computing is powerful enough to do the things we're talking about, BUT Microsoft and other futurists see the real power of computing not being unleashed until the odd blocky thing called a computer is obsoleted. Eventually humans will be able to interact with their world with computing power embedded in that world rather than being stuck on a thing called a "computer" that's separated from the rest of the world.

1. Palm Pilot as Opal mentions. Normal people won't boot computers to store contact data. Rather they want something that sort of resembles a wallet where business cards are stores...Pilot.

2. Cars. Normal people want to drive a car, not play with a keyboard to program their cars. That's why drivers access the computers that run their cars via the normal car UI...manufacturers don't require them to carry a laptop that plugs into the car to change their alarm settings, stability control, etc.

3. Home security. The most complex systems on houses owned by IT people are run by computers. But the average person won't do that...they buy security systems with computers built into them.

4. Home entertainment. Same thing as #3.

5. Home appliances. Same thing. The kitchen, lights, bathrooms of the future will be run by computers, but the computers will be embedded within the devices...they won't require a laptop to be connected to their network to control them.

6. Tools for business people. People based in offices will need computers as long as they're doing Word, Excel, database type stuff (though even the UI for that will eventually change...it will be voice driven). But field professionals like sales people, product specialists, etc. are already using blackberries and other devices more than computers. Soon EVERY field professional will be on these devices...not only are they more efficient for the person, but they're less costly for the corporation they work for.

7. I could go on and on, but I'll stop with music devices. I think the devices of the future, due to expanded more powerful computing that fits cheaply inside a little box, will be designed so the artist doesn't have to use something weird with a typewriter called a computer. The ideal UI for the artist is the instrument. (I don't think laptops are required for the Disklavier pianos for example...that would be clunky). Now, the studios and professional technicians might always use computers because computers are ideal for technicians...an alternative platform limits what technicians can do and they can't be limited to do their jobs. But as far as artists are concerned, eliminating the need for a computer is necessary. The Motif is both an artist's tool and a technician's tool so it's sort of a hybrid that might always require a computer to meet the need of a professional sound designer, studio manager, etc but those are really functions that are served by a host of computing devices...the workstation plays 1 small part in it.