Introducing The Computer of 2010

silicon, with its talent for carrying electrons, has been the mainstay of computing. But for a variety of reasons (see "The Coming Light Years"), we're rapidly approaching the day when electrons will no longer cut it. Within 10 years, in fact, silicon will fall to the computer scientist's triple curse: "It's bulky, it's slow, and it runs too hot." At this point, computers will need a new architecture, one that depends less on electrons and more on... well...what else? Optics.

With the assistance of award-winning firm frogdesign (the geniuses behind the look of the early Apple and many of today's supercomputers and workstations), Forbes ASAP has designed and built (virtually, of course) the computer of 2010.

Whenever possible, our newly designed computer replaces stodgy old electrons with shiny, cool-running particles of light--photons. Electrons remain, doing everything they do best (switching), while photons do what they do best (traveling very, very fast). In other words, we've brought the speed and bandwidth of optical communications inside the computer itself. This mix is called optoelectronics, another buzzword we encourage you to start using immediately.

The result is a computer that is far more reliable, cheaper, and more compact--the entire thing, believe it or not, is about the size of a Frisbee--than the all-electronic solution. But above all, optoelectronic computing is faster than what's available today. How fast? In a decade, we believe, you will be able to buy at your local computer shop the equivalent of today's supercomputers.

How likely is it that this computer will be built? Some of its components are slightly pie-in-the-sky. But many others have already been developed or are being developed by some of the best scientific minds in the country. Sooner or later, and probably sooner, an optoelectronic computer will exist...and it will probably look a lot like ours.

Okay, so we've built a revolutionary new optical computer just in time for 2010. What do we do with it now?

Everything. Because it's small (about the size of a Frisbee) and because it has the power of today's supercomputer, the 2010 PC will become the repository of information covering every aspect of our daily life. Our computer, untethered and unfettered by wires and electrical outlets, becomes something of a key that unlocks the safety deposit box of our lives.

When we plug our 2010 PC into the wall of our home, our house will become smart, anticipating our every desire. At work, we'll plug it into our desk, which will become a gigantic interactive screen. When it communicates wirelessly with a small mobile device, we'll have a personal digital assistant--on steroids