In light of the imminent release of a new Apple computing device, which the pundits believe to be a tablet, there's been a lot of discussion about what its primary uses will be. E-book reader? Music Player? Movie player? Bathroom surfboard?

Those are all great, but the thing I'd just love to see on this device would be a live, interactive enterprise dashboard. I'm sure, however, that they'll demo a dashboard. It'll probably be a consumer dashboard made up of weather and stock widgets, but wow, can you imagine the potential?

Speaking of whizzy dashboard gadgets, Sony recently announced the Dash, an implementation of the nerdy Chumby. It's being marketed as a clock-radio like dashboard, but I think it would be great to repurpose as a desktop conduit to an enterprise dashboard.

There is really something to be said about a live dashboard that doesn't live on your primary computer's screen. A dashboard that has its own discrete screen gets more attention, and has more potential value to those who use dashboards.

Food for thought.