SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY

‘Notebook’ Computers: Thomas Yuen, co-chairman and chief operating officer of AST Research Inc., says he thinks there will be a day when the notebook-size computer will find a place in most American homes.

Small enough to fit in a briefcase, notebook computers are popular with executives and traveling salespeople.

But Yuen said in an interview last week that he sees a day when people will carry notebook computers from room to room in their home, using them at tables or while writing in bed. Those with color screens could feature Nintendo games, recipes, and have the same features as office computers.

“I think the home market is going to be developed by the notebook computer, not the desktop,” Yuen said. Nearly one-third of U.S. households, 29%, have computers, according to the Electronic Industries Assn., a trade group in Washington.

And though the day when most households have computers may be a decade away, but AST is still preparing for it.

AST is considering producing color notebook computers that can recognize handwriting. The machines would be lighter than the 7-pound models the company now makes.