I have never gotten the desire that psionics=/="magic" and that the game needs a psionic equivalent for everything. Psionics is just a modern day pseudoscientific refluffing of magic.
I would agree this is where psionics ultimately came from. I would disagree that is what it has become now. For better or worse, psionics has acquired a distinctive flavor in fantasy, and in D&D particularly.
I do agree with you that the game doesn't need a psionic equivalent for everything magic can do - that kind of defeats the point. I don't want to see psionics summoning things, for example; or throwing fireballs.
slobster's system appeals to me quite a bit - you have a few specialties and concentrate on them. Perhaps you can dabble in other specialties by taking feats, but you always have a central focus.
If Psionics make an appearance in 5e/Next I hope it ends something like the following:
- Wizards get a Mentalist tradition.
- Sorcerers get a Wild Talent Origin.
- Warlocks get a Pact with a mental super construct.
- Monks get Psychic Warrior and Soul Knife styles.
A Mentalist wizard does not, in my judgment, capture the feel of psionics at all.
A Wild Talent sorcerer... that's a lot closer, I must say. Its spell list would need to be carefully worked out, though. And my preference would be to rename them to something besides 'spells'. (Though honestly, that's my preference even for the cleric.)
I can't picture a psionic Warlock in my mind. But I could totally see a Psychic Warrior or Soul Knife build for the monk, yes.
EDIT: Oh, and DarwinofMind? I also dislike the crystal fixation. Unfortunately we're probably stuck with it. And in its favor, it does tend to give psionics a distinctive 'look'... just not one I cotton to all that well.