Finally a truly mobile PC!

I actually had thought of something like this a few months ago.

A company called Modular Computing came up with the following idea:

Instead of a laptop/notebook/pda to carry around; build a PC core that can be hooked different shells to act as a notebook/handheld/desktop.

The Modular PC and its many applications


MC has realized this idea with its Modular PC Core; a 129 x 74 x 18.7 mm component containing a 1 GHz low power consumption CPU, 256 MBs of RAM and a 20 GB HDD. The core by itself is useless, it has no screen, keyboard or any other user interface. It does not contain any power supply or battery either.

The core component of the Modular PC


MC also designed shells for different uses. There is a desktop shell which contains keyboard/mouse/USB/PCMCIA ports and can be connected to a monitor of your choice. There is a handheld shell which enables the core to be used via touchscreen. There is a notebook shell still in the designing stages. There might even be a wearable version that would enable you to integrate the core to your work clothes.

The desktop station without the core


The Modular PC in its Tablet PC form


Of course there are better notebook, tablet and desktop designs in the market but the beauty of this design is that if you choose the Modular PC, you don't have to synchronize your data back and forth between different computers. You literally take all of your data along with your computer! When you switch from the notebook shell to the desktop, all you have to do is to plug-in the core to another shell. When you turn it on, it is the same computer! Upgrading becomes incredibly simple and cost-efficient as well! Simply upgrade the Core to a new model and you upgrade all your computers at the same time!..

Unfortunately, MC is a small firm and they can't manufacture/promote/sell enough of these to cut down the costs and prices to a reasonable level yet. Still, this is a great idea and I believe that someday, we will all use computers in this fashion.