With all the talk about Web 2.0 and Cloud Computing, one of the missing aspects is the hardware that enables this. Yes the hardware becomes less and less important, but you still have to have something there.

Netbooks are certainly part of the hardware that will enable true cloud computing, but devices like TechCrunch’s CrunchPad will most likely, in the long run, be a bigger part.

The CrunchPad is supposed to be an inexpensive touch-screen tablet that boots straight into a web browser, bypassing any user interaction with the operating system. These kinds of computers, though perhaps in foldable e-paper form, will most likely make up the majority of devices in the future.

Obviously there are some serious limitations to this form, such as the lack of a keyboard, but for casual web surfing and checking email, small, inexpensive tablets may well replace the netbook.

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