System builders are usually not the innovators of new technology, as most focus on building systems to meet their customer's needs. After all, innovation can be an expensive gamble when it comes to what is now a commodity market.

That said, innovation and the associated risks can lead to cornering a market. If a system builder can predict a customer's needs before the customer even knows what they are, the system builder will have an advantage.

The trick is to research, plan and build systems that meet the customer's requirements before the customer is even aware of the advantages offered by a new technology. But who has the time for research and experimentation, especially for products that have slim margins?

What system builders need is an inside edge, an easy way to gauge what customers want , without having to spend hours querying customers and without waiting for the name-brand manufacturers to dictate what a customer "should" want.

Thanks to Asus and Intel, system builders now have a tool to identify wants, needs and trends associated with notebook PCs. That tool takes the form of a community-driven Web site called WePC, which is chockfull of suggestions and ideas on what customers think should be in the next generation of notebook PCs.

Of course, Asus aims to capture those customers and build systems to market based upon the best suggestions. Even so, system builders will find the content, suggestions, tips and tricks all welcome when it comes to building their own custom systems.