Koolness in the offing . . . Sharp Announces Second Generation 3D Notebook . . . the price tag is still not within the range of the average computer buyer but it is also no longer out of range either.

This looks even niftier than the last one.

I do note that the target markets are all the traditional developmental areas like medicine, design, engineering, and a little bit in education (the last of which has not been very strongly explored as of yet and really needs some example products out there – hey, Sharp, send me some prototype equipment and I will sit down with you and design some very powerful educational products – see my Civil War program).

The key markets that are missing from their game plan are gaming, entertainment, photography, and videography.

Gaming propels a great deal of innovation in software and hardware design. Gamers are the ones that push their machines to the limit and the immersive quality of stereoscopic real time true 3D games is a big attraction for gamers. I loved playing Quake but I loved it a whole lot more when I was playing it in true 3D where everything looked very very real (of course, given just how scary the current game is, that could get even scarier). Add that to my hypnosis processes and you’ve got a kickass experience.

Entertainment in 3D is great. With the new IMAX versions of films like Polar Express, Shrek, Terminator, and evidently Spiderman and Harry Potter and more . . . it will only be a matter of time before consumers start pushing for them in their own home. There are a number of films already available in stereoscopic format (not just anaglyph but through shutter glass technology) that would benefit from Sharp’s display system (especially if they get it to work on a standalone television system for the living room, albeit there are more technical hurdles there that would more easily be solved through projection systems with polarized cardboard glasses so the seating can be more varied). There are a lot of porn companies out there already shooting in 3D so someone’s buying the product.

Videography and Photography. A true digital stereoscopic camera is eventually going to happen . . . readers of this blog are already familiar with my own 3D photography setups both for still camera and video . . . Sharp needs to work with the rest of the 3D Consortium and get more home consumer products and software out there as once folks see their photos of little junior in real 3D they’re unlikely to want to go back. Big market potential, just not developed adequately . . . yet . . . first one to set the breakthrough product gets to set the standard.