(image via: thetourist)

We take our laptops for granted these days, but at one time the closest thing to a portable computer was a portable typewriter. The classic Olivetti Valentine portable typewriter was a chic and enviable accessory in the 1960s and 1970s. Designed by Ettore Sotsass, the Valentine was stylish, functional and – for a typewriter – damn sexy. Sotsass’ idea that a design should be functional, attractive and emotionally appealing has inspired many designers to take risks and make create concepts that look fantastic while still filling a tangible need. The popularity of this particular model has skyrocketed recently, with manual typewriter enthusiasts snapping them up on eBay and in secondhand stores.

If you can’t get your hands on an authentic Valentine, do what a design team in Austria did: design a laptop to look like the classic typing machine. A modern laptop with the same sleek lines, boxy shape and alluring color would be awesome enough on its own, but they took it a step further. This new design includes a pull-out keyboard and a compact rolling screen. Without the constraints of a rigid screen, the screen no longer places size and shape limitations on the overall product. This notebook, if ever produced, would undoubtedly be a bestseller among those who value form just as much as – if not more than – function.