The concept of ideality is based upon the ratio of useful functions to harmful functions. Any increase in that ratio, by increasing the useful functions of a system, by decreasing the harmful functions or by both is a step torwards ideality. Ultimately, all existing systems have some harmful functions, so the only way to achieve the Ideal Final Result is to eliminate the system while keeping the system's primary (useful) function.

The classic example of this is to eliminate costly, bulky, unreliable roll-up screens for viewing movies or power-point presentations with a white wall; the wall being an existing resource that is there "free" to use. This approach is now starting to be seen for computer monitor applications:

http://www.gizmag.com/snx/link.php?M=8397&N=185&L=2047
http://www.gizmag.com/go/5187/
http://www.gizmag.com/go/3160/
http://www.gizmag.com/go/7429/

Marco Aurelio de Carvalho asked recently if these are examples of the ideal screen?

An argument can be made that even the requirement for a clean surface is a cost (certainly I would be hard pressed to find a blank surface in my office), and, in some environments, walls may even not be an available resource.

So, what is even more ideal? The complete elimination of the need for a reflective surface. Originally proposed by Frederik Pohl in his classic 1952 novel The Space Merchants, the Virtual Retinal Display (VRD) Technology is a system that shines light directly into the eye eliminating the screen entirely:

http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=114
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3647437.stm
http://www.cs.nps.navy.mil/people/faculty/capps/4473/projects/fiambolis/vrd/vrd_full.html

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