Those extra cores could easily lend themselves to supporting on device virtualization. End to end encryption, as well as ultimate control over remote-wipe for business related functions and data is a no-brainer. Hell it wouldn't be that hard to let one of those cores be used for DLP.

Don't even ask (!!) about how many times I operated without a safety-net.

Sorry but I can't disagree more and the area of disagreement is that you are forcing an either/or choice on the consumer (business and personal). I've lived through too damn many changes in the UI, many of which ended up in niche use, and come to think of it now, some returning. All the laptop computer entails is nothing more than an all-in-one with a nice battery pack. All a tablet computer is entails nothing more than having the touch interface on top of the display. Looking at one of my catalogs here I can easily find tablet interfaces for desktops or laptops complete with soft keyboards and yes, Windows was involved.

We have yet to really decide what the UI will ultimately look like. I have no trouble envisioning the processing and local storage element of the future as a device held on a wristband, key-chain (fob), or a chain (pendant). The interface would be voice and as many other handy devices that you choose to use networking by body, wireless, whatever. Power, at least to the interfaces, would be via a smart-skin surface that generates power from a nano-tech "solar-cell" like material from heat and multiple frequencies of light with a touch surface to sense how the user is holding the device, what gestures are in use, as well as having an internal gyroscope-accelerometer. There are a few more thoughts along this line. The point here is that we are all limited, for now, by some constraints and I see that those constraints are fundamentally relaxing from generation of device to the next.

The "ooo! That's neat, I have to have one..." is nothing new and you'll see the lemmings go off the cliff to have one. The fundamental arbiter of the process at work here is what will be useful for the foreseeable future. Given the reduction of foreseeable (attention-span) from generation to generation, it's a good thing that the length of a generation has also shortened.

I suppose I should insert the obligatory ZFS reference here. I'm going to that for my huge collection of books and documents although I have been heading into video-land now. Given the fact that the versions I've been looking at here have inline de-duplication, who cares if something is filed under one, five, or two-hundred directories. The built-in RAID characteristics make it interesting as well, although it isn't going to be magically fast (without serious hardware).

For those of the Mac persuasion, I was over on Ars-Technica and came across a reference to a version for Mac in beta with a release target sometime around Summer. I don't do Mac, but the author has targeted it for media library use. Z-410

Your backups may burn. Mine are in a secure facility along with all my masters and a replacement computer, although getting a standby machine doesn't cost much these days (even on a seriously limited income). Another chance to engineer a next-gen machine is not necessarily bad.

For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled. — Richard P. Feynman

Any reputable engineer who isn't owned by one side or the other in this 'debate' will look at the network infrastructure, then the size of the anticipated customer base (hell, just for Apple's projected sales alone), and the anticipated customer usage patterns. Result is a train-wreck. No other result. It won't work.

Now I'm an unusual customer with normally unusual demand and, fortunately, all my wireless service provider does after a I blow through twice the max capacity for the month in just a couple of days and just slows my connection. The rest of the industry either cuts you off or charges you exorbitant overage fees. If everyone wants video wherever, whenever (or downloads a lot of alpha and beta software to test), it just won't work.

Engineers and economists (usually) deal with the real world, the world with (rational?) constraints. I am, and have been, both to my misfortune. Why misfortune? Because I've been watching this build for a very long time. No one listened. Enjoy.

The reason I'm interested in FreeBSD now, aside from many years living with it rather long ago, is utilizing the dedupe feature of ZFS in support of virtualization. There are certainly other implementations out there, ZFS or no, but it looks like a wicked combination. Now if I could get deduped memory, without breaking the bank, as well... ;-).

If it is such garbage, why does everyone fall all over themselves to imitate and inter-operate with it. Sorry, I'm an engineer and I deal in reality not someone's rose-colored view of the world. Reality is that it is on the desktop where you work and/or your laptop ad. It's starting to be web accessible as well. It has way more features than most anyone ever needs, so much so that it has to inline help (the ribbon interface) so you don't get lost along the way. And it has no problems, so far, inter-operating with itself (big surprise). The desktop war has been over for a very, very long time. Deal with it.

Windows, or a malfunctioning device between keyboard and chair ;-). Noted and thanks!