"Maybe a few people might have been foolish enough to expect quantum computers in 10 years, but it could be 50 years before we get quantum computers," Laflamme said. "For people working in the field, quantum computers are the holy grail. ... On the way there, there are the side effects: quantum communication and cryptography, the sensors that people are building."
This should be of interest to students of computer science.
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/03/17/2231022.aspx