Open source hardware? Free hardware foundation?

Yes free hardware exists, for instance the Ben Nanonote:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_NanoNote

I am getting ready make a buy through Thinkpenguin next month for the same reason, you should check out what they have available. Our last *New* laptop was a hardware and software nightmare. It took me a while to find them, sifting through all the other options and reading fine print. good luck!

(For those who might think there's no need for such type of hardware...)

"'Elbit' flash memory chips, allegedly designed at Kir Yat-Gat south of Tel Aviv. The unique feature of the Elbit chips was that they worked on ambient electricity in a computer. In other words, they worked when the computer was turned off. When combined with another newly developed chip, the 'Petrie,' which was capable of storing up to six months worth of key strokes, it was now possible to burst transmit all of a computer's activity in the middle of the night to a nearby receiver - say in a passing truck or even a low flying SIGINT (Signals Intelligence) satellite."
--- http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/pandora/052401_promis.html

"CELL PHONE (FBI can listen to you when phone is turned off)": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G1fNjK9SXg

I'm not a friend of the term "free hardware" or "opensource hardware"; both are misleading.
Hardware can't be copied, for instance, so this software-freedom can't be applied to hardware.
Also there is no source code for the hardware you could be allowed to study and change; when we're talking about microcode on a chip which can be changed, this is a different issue - we're talking about software in this case.
A better term would be "documented hardware" or "free-software-friendly hardware".

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) works for all communication freedom. It was formed in 1990 and here are a few people you should become friends with.
https://www.eff.org/about/board

Hey, that's good. I like that. "Documented hardware that is free software friendly." That is what I am searching for too. Sounds more clear than free hardware.

A plain or basic CPU and parts with complete/honest documentation so that whatever free software is built or used on it, results in a what-you-see-is-what-you-are-really-getting type of experience. No funny stuff or dark shadows under the covers. No baloney thwarting the easy operation or functionality of the installed software.

It is difficult to imagine building a house while various measurements and details are kept secret, yet this seems to be commonplace when dealing with mainstream computers and their parts.

My initial research of only a few hours so far shows many computer and part possibilities beyond the typical consumer desktops and laptops we see (and use) everywhere.

Computers control all sorts of machinery now. Such computers are now standard or special "parts" which get built into what, millions?, of types of different machines and devices? I am overwhelmed at the possibilities. There are little computers, bigger ones. Some toughened for vibration, dust, heat, noise, whatever.

Small purchase quantities seem quite normal as many machinery makers are building customized factory machinery and buyers like them may not need even 100 of the same part.

If the search specifications are clear enough, sellers of boards or systems on a chip or whatever can be found. A 100% free computer can be easily created.

In 1987, I knew almost nothing about computers except that I wanted one that could do certain things. The IBM PC had come out and was selling for like $3000. With one magazine article and one computer parts magazine (no internet like today) I quite easily put together a pc resembling the IBM PCs of the day. And it worked! I think it cost less than $600 but that was because I bought some fancier parts.

This stuff isn't that hard to do. It's just parts. Find the right ones, plug them together and go. Assembly doesn't take much time. Finding the right stuff is the hardest part.

Even back then there was all this engineering type talk about how important it was to have the proper parts etc. I didn't believe that then and I don't believe that now. Maybe in aerospace or defense that kind of precision makes sense, but it is not needed for a basic computer. The basics have been figured out and are already built in.

Well-engineered, properly built, parts will plug together just fine. If there is a tiny rough edge here or there, so what. What machine is perfect?

My quick research shows that an overwhelming number of parts seem to exist. Finding the best ones (build/price/ease of purchase) is the challenge.

If you've never built a computer before you may think it is difficult or will result in some sort of ugly or weak machine. The opposite is true. It goes together quite quickly. Since you know all the parts, and where to get more, you already know how to fix or improve things. Cases come in all shapes and sizes. A laptop would admittedly be tougher to build, but a basic computer, not at all.

Once the parts are working a snazzier case might actually turn the design into a product for sale. A 100% "free" computer. "Documented hardware and free software friendly."

I know I will have questions as I continue to search for the right chips, parts, and specification details and I hope people here will help answer them. I will update my findings with you all as I go.