On Tue, 03 Dec 2013 09:31:47 -0500, Wolf Kirchmeir
wrote:

On 2013-12-03 4:41 AM, xfile wrote:
[...]
And as I mentioned, when everything is gradually moving to Web-based,
protocols and formats are going to be standardized, platform is less an
issue (i.e. you can use Office 365 Web on PC, Mac, and Linux) and
training for back-end systems or front-end interface are not going to be
as difficult as the days when people were bound by proprietary
standards, protocols, and formats.
[...]

That's why I'm looking at the Surface Pro. It's a real computer, not
just a "smart device". Any 3rd party Win compatible program will run on
it. It needs a few tweaks to make connection to wi-fi/Bluetooth devices
automagical, so that printing, external backup, streaming to large
screens, linkage to smart appliances, etc, is just a couple gestures or
clicks away. VPN should be standard, and as easy to set up as a user
account. With such a machine plus a simple (== cheap) smart phone you'd
have everything you need: a client as thin or thick as you like, and
connectivity to anything and everything.

"Smart devices" are of course computers. That they do so little is a
marketing decision.

Don't they essentially do all of the things you mentioned above?
1. connect to WiFi/Bluetooth devices
2. printing
3. external backup
4. streaming to large screens
5. linkage to smart appliances
6. VPN
7. plus a whole lot more

I have a really hard time looking at my smart devices and thinking that they
do so little. To me, it's amazing that they do so much!

IMO, a Surface Pro built as a large smart-phone,
plus the connectivity alluded to above, would be the _single_ device
that does everything. That's what I want.