I don't follow that reasoning.  We're postulating refractive optical
elements, not holograms.

For the same reason that you can't use a hologram of a microscope lens
to replace the lens.  You can get correct reconstruction only at one
field position and one set of conjugates.

The question was whether it could be done with lenses.

It's an old and worthwhile question.  If eyeglasses make you see properly,
then why can't we invert the system and put "object glasses" on things to
make us myopes (or whatever your refractive error) see them properly
without having to have apparatus on our heads.

Actually, this isn't really an issue with a holographic display, but
since holographic displays don't yet exist, the kind of 3D displays
which do exist don't imply that any technology would exist that would
help.

In the case of a holographic display, able to create any arbitrary
light wavefront, if the corrective lens has to be within 1 cm of the
eye... then the only constraint is that the position of the head with
respect to the laptop has to be controlled to a tolerance of 1 cm.

Instead of bolting the laptop to one's head, it could even use
infrared sensors to monitor the position of one's head!

John Savard

No.  Corrective lenses must be near, or on (as in contact lenses) the eye.

Imagine using a laptop without having to wear corrective
eyeglasses.

I know that 3D displays exist that don't require special glasses.

So maybe this is possible as well?

Amir