Ok, so we had livingroom appliances that used your TV and were good for the net, email, etc. WebTV. They had wireless keyboards so you could lounge in your easy chair and surfe. They didn't sell well. Technically, viewing the web on a regular telly isn't much fun, but the real reason they didn't sell is because the market wasn't there.

Then we got smartphones and they sold well but people aren't crazy about visiting a limited number of sites with a tiny screen. So, it's a phone that can surf the web but usually doesn't. The market is finally there, the delivery sucks.

Now we have another net-only appliance, it has a decent screen and can visit any site (like WebTV) but this one is portable (like the smartphones). Maybe it's the right gizmo for the right market.

Or maybe for $300 I can get a sub-notebook with a smaller screen and a small but real keyboard.

The problem is, a 12" screen with what appears to be a 9:16 aspect ratio is a lousy way to surf the web.

Maybe this is the future of the internet cafe: you walk in with your bluetooth/wifi device (that's the next bluetooth spec, after all) with a lousy screen, you sinc it to a 'real' bluetooth/wifi monitor at the cafe, and surf.

Hey, hey, we got the ill communication. And doesn't Nokia already make a connection device that can't do anything else. Maybe Sprint will pay a couple of bills to add some mobile broadband-like network kit and all of the USA+dog can get one for $50 and two years of struggle and pain. With only a touchscreen interface, maybe we could get some of that snap and spin content manipulation or better yet a proximity sensor type of interface that lets you control it with voodoo like hand gestures in thin air. Oh, please techno-Jesus bring me a life that's just like my favorite sci-fi show, AMEN.

They should really contact those guys at http://xpud.org/

Sounds fantastic, storage isn't even an issue if your stuff is all hosted online.

It'll be like an iPhone or Android with a bigger screen. But cheaper.

Like above posters, I'd buy this in an instant for $300 over the sub-notebooks like the asus and msi units hot on the market right now. I agree with the creator; I want a simple to use thing instead of some dumb OS (XP or linux, linux can go to hell IMO) and not be bothered with the hassles an OS brings. And no recompiling kernels or apt-get ridiculousness. give me a break linux fails.

It needs Windows XP and a 50% more powerful cpu/ram spec. Then it can run most apps in the business and home arenas.

I can think of car workshops that would find this very useful. A car diagnostic software solution (£2k-£3k) would work perfectly on this.

It can also do surveying, teaching, etc.

If they can make a more powerful windows one for $400/£300 then it's easily a top seller.

I've been wanting one of these since I first became a fan of Star Trek. 4GB isn't much, but I can deal with that small quibble, especially if it has a slot for a thumb drive.

Where does the line queue up? :D

Seems Like UpGrade of Tablet. Heard on News last Eve, St.Joobs Is Resting Well At Home. One Last Chance To Ram 7 Into Tablet, Steve, Hey-STEVE!. Think Duel Core aTom does NT6. Could Be J.I.T.(Just In Time) For Serious SSD. Call 'Er MacBell. Cox Gives 12.5 to 50 Mb/s Wireless.One Thing Here Is Serious Price Incentive Plus For: theLABSTER@TechCrunch.mil. drashek

Now this is so star trek I'll take 2 of those. Sit in my lazy boy watch TV and surf the internet.