On Wednesday, Intel and Asus jointly launched a website, WePC.com, that solicits ideas from consumers with the goal of producing "the world's first community-designed PCs".
The site focuses on three 'conversation groups', in which consumers work together to design netbooks, notebooks and gaming notebooks.
"Visitors to the site can share ideas, vote on submitted concepts and engage in discussions with other community members about the qualities of the 'dream' PC," Intel said in a statement.
"Intel believes the spark for innovation can come from anywhere," Mike Hoefflinger, general manager of Intel's partner marketing group, said in a statement.
Many of the contributors' suggestions are fairly predictable: more powerful batteries, less shiny screens and lighter overall weight. Some contributors have specific desires for processors, while others have asked for high-definition screens and 3G connectivity.
However, there have been some more creative suggestions. One suggestion asked for a durable, waterproof notebook with a "night-time look to glow in the dark".
One reader suggested doing away with the notebook's buttons and screen for a virtual-reality experience. "I know that the technology for plugging your nervous system directly into your brain is very far off, but we've got some fairly cheap technology that could be applied to a computer that would be fairly awesome."
Another reader suggested telepathic communication that would rely on the sensing of brain activity.
However, some ideas may leave visitors shaking their heads.
"I like the idea of a laptop that has hair on it. You can then cut said laptop's hair to your liking. The hair of course grows, so you can have multiple haircuts a year," wrote one visitor.
Some of these ideas may one day make it into a PC — if they make the cut.
