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PC Idea Description

This idea is about software and operating systems as well as hardware, but most of all it requires that a new flexible and expandable standard for devices to communicate with each other be created.

My ideal computer (PC for short) will be with me at all times, with the same stuff available to me on my phone as on my desktop and laptop, and on a terminal in a hotel if nothing else is available. Phone, music, video, databases, spreadsheets, documents, desktops, widgets, all will always be available to me (sometimes in a limited format) no matter where I am or what device I'm using to access them.

At first I thought that would mean a PC that was completely modular. I could plug in whatever screen I liked, whatever keyboard I liked, make it really light by only taking along the keyboard and screen, or adding other capabilities for different excursions by plugging in and adding on things like drives, speakers, and so on. Then I realized that devices no longer need to be in contact to work together. Why not have a notebook that's only a tablet-style touch screen sometimes, but when a lot of text entry is required, a nearby keyboard could be used for input?

Then I thought, "Everything has a microprocessor chip in it nowadays. Why not make them all work together?"

Extending that idea led to this:

Similar to the idea of a single phone number that finds you wherever you happen to be, my ideal PC will always find me as soon as I identify myself to whatever device I happen to have at hand that I wish to use, adapting itself to its capabilities and limitations.

If I'm at my desk, it will be able to show me information on a large screen and full keyboard and whatever other peripheral devices are available.

If I leave my desk, get on a bus, and turn on my laptop, it will have the same files and software available, making note of the fact that there is no local printer available.

If I only have my mobile phone with me, my PC will be able to use that to access and edit the same data, and the OS & software would adapt to the limited screen size, input capability, and memory of the smaller device.

If I only have a video media player with me, I would at least be able to access all my media, as well as view my text documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.

If it's a car radio, it will be able to play all the songs, old-time radio shows and audio books I have access to.

It will not matter what method I use to input data: keyboard, touch tablet, touch screen, photo or video, microphone, or calling it from my cell phone. A camera-phone photo of a hand-written note will be input the same way as writing something on the screen of a tablet PC.

It also won't necessarily be a PC that I'm communicating with. Can't find the TV remote control? I'll use my cell phone, my laptop, my wireless keyboard, or my desktop. Did I forget to turn off the oven when I got invited to this party? Give it a call on the phone and tell it to shut down when the chicken is done!

As technology changes, my ideal PC will adapt with it and I will be able to use the advanced speed and capabilities of future devices without having to give up old ones that still work.

To accomplish all that means that there will be a standard protocol for connectivity between all devices with input or output capability and devices with computing capability, or just about everything these days. The protocol will include communicating what the device is capable of doing, how it sends and receives its data and instructions, and be open-ended enough so it won't be made obsolete by future advances in technology, cable sockets, wireless speeds, and so on.

We've made mistakes in the past trying to pick a high number for memory or transmission speeds, or hard drive space "that no one could conceivably exceed" and we've always been outguessed by reality. This should be a protocol with built-in expandability so there's no upper limits as to speed, transmission capability, memory capacity, or the kinds of things a computing device or peripheral is capable of.

The worst thing about using old devices with this protocol that are hard-coded will be their inability to recognize and make use of capabilities of devices that don't yet exist, but they will still be able to use the ones they know about.

For example, my current video camera will never be able to transmit a 3-D image, and it doesn't have touch sensor capability, but a future holographic device capable of projecting something you can see, hear, and touch will still be able to receive and display my video camera's 2-D video and audio without any problems.

I've liked a lot of the ideas others have presented on this Web site, and after the above idea becomes a reality, we will all be able to pick and choose whichever devices we most like to use.