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Intel, Asus want laptop designs from you

Consumers can become product designers, working together and with the two companies, in a project called WePC.

Brooke Crothers Former CNET contributor
Brooke Crothers writes about mobile computer systems, including laptops, tablets, smartphones: how they define the computing experience and the hardware that makes them tick. He has served as an editor at large at CNET News and a contributing reporter to The New York Times' Bits and Technology sections. His interest in things small began when living in Tokyo in a very small apartment for a very long time.
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Brooke Crothers

Intel and Asus have launched a site that seeks collaborators for "community designed" PCs.

The two companies say consumers can become product designers at WePC, a Web site launched Wednesday. Participants can collaborate with each other and with Intel and Asus to "design innovative new products," the companies said.

The plan is for the two companies to deliver to market what could be the world's first community-designed PCs.

Visitors to the site can share ideas with community members about the qualities of a "dream" PC and vote on submitted concepts, Intel and Asus said.

Consumers can submit ideas to the community
Consumers can submit ideas to the community. Intel, Asus

"Intel believes the spark for innovation can come from anywhere," Mike Hoefflinger, general manager of Intel's Partner Marketing Group, said in a statement. "That's why Intel is working with Asus to tap into the creative energy of consumers as they share ideas on designing their ideal PC."

The community will be divided into three conversation groups, addressing three of the most popular consumer PC categories: Netbooks, notebooks, and gaming notebooks.

The PCs will be powered by Intel's Atom, Centrino 2, and Intel Centrino 2 Extreme processors.

Prizes will be rewarded to select participants for their creative role in this project. Details on prizes will be announced at a later date.