I think this is getting us nowhere, but ok, I'll try again.<p>Flying and books <i>incite</i> us to wonder.  A computer can <i>assist</i> us in wondering.  It can enable us to explore ideas. That's the potential of the computer and that's what Alan's Dynabook was promising.<p>Sure, we can rip out functionality until we have a computer that is so pretty and simple that a monkey can use it, but that's not fulfilling the promise that computers hold.  That's not what Alan was talking about.<p><i>Forgive us all who dare persist contentedly with balloons</i><p>You're forgiven.  (Just not tolerated well on a place like HN. :-)