Other If you could give one part of computing a large generation jump foward, which bit?

Clicky

 

motherboard/bus system. When people say the hard drive is the only component in the computer where little progress is made. I disagree, the motherboard hasn't made much progress tech-wise sure, new features have been added and removed over time just like a neglected OS, where vital improvements than can be made are overlooked. I like a system with reduced bottlenecks, and a theoretical maxium that is near achievable in a reasonable amount of time.

 

The battery.

Everything starts with power. Even the fancy-pansiest CPU and storage don't mean jack without the juice to run them, and without portability. As portable devices use more and more power to do their wonderful things, the next bottleneck in technology will be compact, light batteries that recharge faster and last longer.

Failing that:

It would solve a lot of the power consumption and heat problems in one swoop.

 

The display.

I'm a sucker for "swooshing" sci-fi holographic displays.

But I'll have to agree with Nexxo; the batteries would be a great coup, unless the system at hand runs on mains juice. In that case the superconducting mains cables would suffice.

 

This is true, so you do this:

Pc's shouldn't be much bigger than a lunch box at worst by then, right?

 

@ Fisher: I already did. Earlier and subtle...

It's a tinfoilhat thing.

Most of the hardware components would be unusable by you, but might give you and everybody else a giant leap in technology when taken apart and reversed engineered.

 

Sure some things haven't moved on for years but PCI-E, SATA, the virtual elimination of the FSB, etc.

 

What he said ...
Solar-powered desktop, anyone? I'd buy one ...

 

Human Input Output systems aka http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodeck

 

I'd grab a sporting almanac and possibly a hover board if I had the time.

Actually, if tech had advanced far enough, I'd grab a portal gun.

 

I'd use the computer to do a search and find out what I had brought back with me. Then I guess I'd have to take that.

 

As someone has mentioned before:

A book full of lottery numbers, AND the cooling systems.

I'd kill for anything else, but it really wouldn't be compatible...at all.

 

Pervasively Wireless SOA: Want to be able to use a thin client to access my computer from the middle of the ocean both connecting wireless and powered wireless