Ok, Here's a concept (with tongue firmly in cheek):
Require the radio manufactures to build-in a 2.4Ghz wireless
transceiver in each radio, with a standard GUI for all radios. Then
we just need one of those nifty wireless Part 15 pc-cards for our
palmtops & BINGO! Instant control! Bypass audio connex for
digimodes! Oh, heck, let's just get rid of the radio's front panel
entirely!
Oops, isn't that almost the Kenwood TS-2000???
USB & FireWire are here to stay. USB-2 is coming fast. Someday,
most PCs will NOT have legacy ports. As a part-time network admin, I
long for the day. Most hams who use PCs run into RFI problems at one
point or another. We already know how to handle it.
You know, BetaMAX really *was* a technically better system.... ;)