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You can get everything today as a USB device. USB harddrives and storage, USB to Ethernet/wifi adapters, USB to VGA adapters, etc…
So I propose a minimilast cube shaped PC, containing nothing but a processor, RAM, and one or two USB ports. Optional accessories would include a 4, 8 or 16 port powered
USB hub that snaps seamlessly onto the cube PC. Of course, the user is always free to use any external USB hub of their choosing.
Mac Mini
http://www.apple.com/macmini/
even better than a PC, because it doesn't depend on a crap, virus ridden, operating system [xenzag, Apr 03 2009]
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I don't know if USB is fast enough for everything, but I'm sure there are applications where would this would be cool. Slap on a terabyte USB drive and a wifi adapter and you have a nice tiny remote network storage device... Bun! |
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"one or two"? I'd say to be useful, you'd need a minimum of 8. Like the idea, though. [+] |
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Baked by Apple years ago, in the form of the Mac Mini - see link. |
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[xenzag] - neither does a PC, unless you're using "PC" to mean "Windows machine only". This would be a cool hobbyist/small business product, in which context it would almost certainly have to run Linux, for lack of money to throw at Microsoft. |
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//it would almost certainly have to run Linux// |
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excellent point gisho, I should have mentioned that originally. |
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I can see where this would have applications, but I don't see it as a viable future for general purpose consumer computing. |
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- USB is a CPU-driven bus; every transaction over USB requires processor intervention, and thus takes away cycles which ought to be available for other things. |
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- I don't agree that the main system GPU should be offloaded to USB, for bandwidth, speed and latency reasons. |
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- The new point-to-point motherboard buses are far superior. |
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- USB networking can be problematic. |
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- Lastly, adding USB to every device makes each one more expensive than a bare, internal device. |
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...but on the plus side it would make it much easier to take the computer apart while it's running in order to re-enact that HAL9000 "My mind is going" scene. |
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[Ian], Are you the elder or younger Ensor? |
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[Ian] It's a fictional surname. |
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