"Its advances like memristors that will bring something like the 3-D Web into reality," he added. "Devices using memristor will be startlingly different than what we see today. First, they'll be much smaller, of course, and much smarter. These devices will also be able to reproduce much richer and more immersive visual experiences, too. They have incredible processing power for their size and will be able to generate content fast enough to make virtual experiences seem real."

Since HP is not a chip maker, Williams said they are partnering with a "couple" of companies on their new chip design. He would not name the chip makers involved.

Sharon Gaudin covers the Internet and Web 2.0, emerging technologies, and desktop and laptop chips for Computerworld . Follow Sharon on Twitter at @sgaudin or subscribe to Sharon's RSS feed . Her e-mail address is sgaudin@computerworld.com .

in Computerworld's Hardware Knowledge Center.