Just brainstorming. I know they’re working on this, and different parts of it are available in different forms. See if you can follow me here:
A “cluster” is a networked collection of computers that share processing power to accomplish tasks faster. The best known of these is the Beowulf cluster system (which I would explain more if/when I know more about it). Generally their operating system is a flavor of UNIX, and they tend to be used for math-intensive tasks.
What if there were “Home/business” clustering software such that you install it on all the computers in your home or business, and each computer could then be connected to a cluster just by plugging it in to ethernet. They then would share not only processor power but drive space (as a replicated RAID system). (It wouldn’t need to share memory because that would be inefficient over the network and each machine would need its own local memory anyway). Need more space or more speed, just buy a box and plug it in. Would have to be fault-tolerant (so any machine could be removed without losing data or operations in progress) and preferably serverless (so no one machine would be the “server”).
Each computer could also have (optional) client software, which would allow it to be used as a workstation. Local storage would work, but when connected to the cluster, local should be merged/replicated/synched with cluster storage. The display on the fridge could share its CPU with the cluster when it wasn’t doing anything else (most of the time).
“Weaker” computers such as PDAs might primarily function only as workstations (but would not need to share their own CPU/drive space) – and might have a limited set of replicated items (address book, etc). I suppose when you join a cluster you could choose which of the cluster’s resources you want to participate in. And the system could (automatically) prefer storing locally used data on local or nearby cluster nodes – so for example MP3s would tend to be stored on and/or near my stereo, video files would be on and/or near my TV server; but if I wanted to make a DVD from the computer in my office, it would just get copied over the net automatically.
We need this at work. Our servers are too slow for processing data, and the drives are relatively full, but we’ve got stacks of machines in the closet that aren’t being used, as well as plenty on desktops that are underused.