But this is probably 5 to 10 years down the line. What you’re talking about is a good intermediate step. I like it.

This is why I think Microsoft has made a MAJOR mistake by not putting more focus into Windows Mobile. They had a huge headstart on all of the competition minus palm. And now they’ve let Blackberry, Apple, and Google blow past them. In the future when your phone is your computer, where does Windows fall into this? If you don’t need a desktop or laptop computer, where does Microsoft get its money from? Do they go back to being a 3rd party software company? Creating Microsoft Office for Android? Or focus entirely on the video game industry?

I have gone as far as configuring file sharing between the computers, so that’s less of a hassle than it could be, but why can’t we have just one device that stores all of our data, keeps track of all of our contacts, stores and connects to emails, plays music, takes pictures, and everything else our little hearts desire. Think about how great it would be if I never had to upload pictures from my camera to my computer for editing, or just because my camera’s memory stick was full, or how nice it would be to have all of my phone contacts with me at all times, on one device.

I imagine a world very soon where we have one device, not much bigger than an iPhone or a Windows Smartphone, that I can carry everywhere with me and stores all of my information. I can envision my home office, with a nice big 24″ monitor, full-size keyboard, wireless mouse and speakers, but no computer… that’s right, no computer. I just take my all-in-one device, throw it up on the desk, and quietly observe while it connects wirelessly to all of the paired devices in the room (over bluetooth, WLAN or whatever, why do I care?) and away I go. No boot cycle to wait on, no mini-tower sitting there collecting dust, just peaceful computing, with everything at my fingertips just the way it was earlier in the day when I was at the office, or when I met with a customer and needed a presentation last Thursday, or when I was at the bank the other day and needed my tax id number.

Now, there are those who will say they need to seperate their business and personal data. I can see a need for that on some occasions… I repeat, on some occasions, but not many. How about this wonderful device supports profiles, that let you load a different set of contacts, pictures, and data for your personal life versus your business life, but any more seperation than that is way too much in my opinion.

Until this wonderful device is invented, I’ll continue to carry my two devices, 1 laptop and use 1 desktop at homebut, I’ll be thinking about how good things will be in the future.
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It really is just a matter of time until we have little devices that fit in our pockets and are sized like phones – the difference is that every “form-fit”, that have gotten used to will be there. So, there will be a “perfected” laser projection keyboard that will project out of it (or maybe it will be tethered to our thoughts so that we can just “type” instantly by thinking something – even though that is still a bit sci-fi) – and there will be a projection image that looks like it is 15 or maybe 22 inches in front of our face (or projected onto a wall – or shot wirelessly into some pair of sunglasses that we can wear) so it will be adequately sized like a laptop/desktop monitor – and the sound will be good and wirelessly link to our audio devices, etc. Also, it will most likely have a small video camera on it that shoots out what you look like to the person on the other line – so it will be mobile video conferencing (similar to what most netbooks do).

This may still be 5 or 10 or 15 years away – but it is closer than we all think since most of these technologies already exist – and when the bandwidth becomes ubiquitous – this will all be relatively inexpensive.

As for Netbooks, I have an Asus 7″ screen, awful typing. But the 10″ w/chiclet keyboard is fantastic, for me. I can type faster on that keyboard than on a standard keyboard (and I’m not a small guy).

Been thinking about the new Hero, but I’d like to wait to see if they come out with a slideout. It’s just nice to have that option.

(I’m rarely w/o my Asus 1000HA. It’s my eReader, my Church books, my business… love it).

Thus, by enabling bluetooth people can use whatever they like and by making it a touchscreen the device is not worthless without your phone.