The movie technology that IT departments would love

It's no secret that what Hollywood believes a computer is capable of often bears little resemblance to the real thing. Nonetheless, in an ideal world, what are the technologies from our movie and television screens that would actually prove useful in a real life scenario?

Here are a few of our suggestions - let's hear some of yours in the comments at the end.

Instant Updates

Surely the biggie. Hollywood blockbusters, when they're not insisting that a computer makes a sound every time a character appears on the screen, will happily show that everything you do on a PC or Mac happens in an instant. There's no hourglass, there's no waiting for a web page to load. It's click your fingers, and what you want is always at your fingertips. Marvellous.

Everything Is Easily Trackable

There's clearly an element of truth to this, but in the land of fiction, all you need to hunt down somebody's e-mail history, or deleted documents, is a character from the shadows. Where this person got their skills from is never explained, just that they can get you any piece of information that you need, and quickly. It comes back to everything being at your fingertips whenever you want it. And that very rarely happens.

Genuinely Innovative Touchscreen Interfaces

The biggest barrier between humans and computers in the real world has traditionally been the interface, whether it's the keyboard, mouse or on-screen user interface. Films such as Quantum of Solace and Minority Report have little time for clicking around a Windows desktop, though, instead opting for fast-moving touchscreen displays.