I was thinking a lot about the docking station too, but then I thought, why not just dispense with everything? What I mean is, instead of docking stations, why not just have screens + CPUs everywhere? If you really need to plug something into them, plug in your cell phone. Better yet, just plug in your fingerprint and go.

The only real point to a tablet you can carry in your pocket is what you can do when there is nothing to dock to, like when you are walking around, or perhaps when you are at work and want a computer system not controlled by the employer.

Maybe there is a place for the docked device as a transitional thing, but in the long run there's not much point to it.

I had the same idea a couple years ago. It started out as an idea to dock my Zaurus SL-5500 (or was this on my Vizor Prism?) to something that could give it video out, then it quickly changed to just keeping my home directory synced to my Zaurus' SD card. Now years later, I realize that all I really wanted was to be able to get at my files from anywhere in the world. What I realized is that it's almost always cheaper to have two specialized devices with access to each other's storage, than to have a core device and some kind of dock. Not only is it cheaper, it's also faster and more flexible.

What I really need is separate devices that each have high bandwidth, 24/7 connectivity. That connectivity might be between them or to a centralized server.

@GeneralAntilles: CPUs and RAM could never get enough bandwidth and low enough latency through an expansion port, but graphics are a different matter. External graphics cards connected over the express card slot have been demoed but I don't know if anything ever came to market.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/08/h...-external-gpu/

-John

I so agree with you. Then you can can use something like VPN + CIFS/SMB, or SSHFS, and have access to your files on server (home, work, colo/dedicated hosted, ...). Thus far only 3G and perhaps WiMAX are options, LTE not yet. Several Nokia devices (will) have 3G and WiMAX support.

For a Symbian phone you'd need to buy a Joikuspot license if you want to use more protocols than HTTP.

That's what I want for Christmas

...you want a computer-generated mock-up of a non-existent device?

That's exactly what I've meant

Shouldn't it have a pony or something?

Edit: Here you go!

Is that the image shown while the OS is booting?

Count me in with the 'I so agree with you' post above

agree++

I, for one, still care for offline operation. Therefore, my favoured solution is a dock which just takes over the complete filesystem and switches off the built-in CPU, screen etc.. Thus everything that has a state in my device would then be managed by another, more powerful computer. No syncing neccessary, (comparatively) low bandwidth. Stateless docks with CPUs, screens and network connections should then "lay about" wherever I go.