I’d like a slate format computer, lots of connectivity, good hi-rez 7″ to 12″ (3:2 ratio) screen (1080p would be nice), multiple multi-core arm chips. The power of a desktop in a hand held system, with the ability to expand its capabilities cheaply and simply. I want a computer not so much a phone.

To work for me it has to be cheap to run, with a total yearly cost that’s under $100. It should be designed to use only open, non-proprietary software (and I should be able to chose the OS it runs), it should have no DRM of any kind. It should be reliable, modular, easy and cheap to repair, and designed to never become obsolete.

The main issue is that its internet connectivity should have immense throughput; each slate system should itself be a connected node on the internet that provides secure access to all the other systems in its range. You should be able to connect to any other slate system without going through a Sprint, AT&T, or other commercial network. Each slate system is part of a pervasive internet “cloud” that shares its connectivity and processing power.

I know it sounds improbable yet we have the capability to build it now, with its biggest technological issue being battery power.

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