Instead of having a "computer" with an "Operating System" have many small computers that plug and play into each other.
For example: If you want text input you need a "Text Input Adapter" connected to a keyboard. Now you want a word processor program, it would run on a "word processor computer" with CPU and memory. To receive input it would call out "WAITING FOR TEXT INPUT!" and if connected to a "Text Input Adapter" it would recieve the answer: "I DO TEXT INPUT! I WORK ONLY WITH ASCII, IS THAT OK?"
Then if I want to put out output, I would call a "Screen Output Adapter" device.
I hear you yelling! How do you download? That's an easy one. These tiny computer devices are sold in a box (let's say you buy 20 TC's (Tiny Comuters). The software knows not to overrun anything, and could be downloaded into the box. The thing is, if something doesn't work after a download, you simply "unplug" it, nothing else is ruined. I know this isn't saying anything about data, but the hassle of getting your computer working after something goes wrong is extremely agravating.-- pashute, Sep 30 2002 Lindows Operating System http://www.lindows.comNew, fresh games like "Pac Man", "Burger Time", "Breakout" and "Boom" (the clone of the legendary shooter "Doom") [Mr Burns, Sep 30 2002] Stack it to fit anywhere, build unique shapes. Very easy to ship. Here, have a modular croissant.-- Amos Kito, Sep 30 2002 This sounds suspiciously like "Lindows" except with hardware instead of software..-- Mr Burns, Sep 30 2002 Trouble is, once the big boys got hold of it, you can bet your sweet a** that it would need Windows DP™ (Distributed Processor) to run and guess who gets to make another $Trillion?-- TwoSheds, Sep 30 2002 Jini was for printers and peripherals. Nobody ever said anything about a Jini word processor, and a Jini web browser plugin.
I'm not sure MicroDollars has to pocket this. (As a matter of fact they probably would be the last to jump on the wagon if someone started this).
Does anybody know how to get millions of opensource geeks working on this (with Linux OS). (By the way, I only use "IBM" PC's and MS stuff.)-- pashute, Sep 30 2002 Last year, I read an article about such devices that run with a Caruso (spelling?) processor and have another chip with an x86 operating system kernel (typically unix or Linux) stored on it. The os chips are interchangable. Or one could store and run Linux on a 100 mb Zip disk.
The TCs, as you call them, are about six inches long on each side and about 1 1/2 inches thick. Each piece may have different i/o ports and configurations, such as additional memory, a hard drive, floppy drive, serial ports, etc.
Sorry, I don't remember what these were called.
[thcgenius] I call my Lindows: Windows XP.-- 1kester, Sep 30 2002 Did it at least come with the high tech hamburger adventure Burger Time? Sadly, mine didn't.. (hail mothership!)-- Mr Burns, Sep 30 2002 random, halfbakery