Looking ahead: The PC of 2007

Computerworld - PCs enjoyed a better year in 2005 than most analysts had predicted. Notebook shipments continued to accelerate, corporations continued to upgrade as IT budgets proved firmer than anticipated, and Microsoft Corp.'s Media Center PCs started to gain shelf space among receivers and DVD players in the living room.
But in terms of groundbreaking new features, there wasn't much to cheer about last year, and this year probably won't be very different. Leaps in PC technology, seen in previous advances like wireless networking, truly portable notebooks or optical storage technology, will be hard to find in moderately priced PCs in 2006. Dual-core processors will become the norm, but companies such as Microsoft are worried about the leisurely pace at which PC application developers are converting products to take advantage of a new parallel world.
So, with that, we look forward to 2007. By then, Microsoft will have finally (probably) released Windows Vista, the long-awaited upgrade to Windows XP. Client software developers should start churning out multithreaded 64-bit software by the boxful. And some current technologies reserved mostly for early adopters, like cellular wireless PC cards or high-definition video, will become part of every business or home PC user's lexicon.
Here's what we expect for the PC of 2007:
Available in 2007, Vista's Out of Sight Until 2008
Microsoft's newest operating system will be scaled down from what was originally promised years ago, but it will deliver significant improvements in security and graphics. Users will also find it easier to search for files or documents, according to the company.
Despite the new bells and whistles, it would probably be best not to run out and be the first company to buy PCs with a new Microsoft operating system, said Roger Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates Inc. in Wayland, Mass. Gartner Inc. issued a similar opinion last year, advising users to start testing Vista this year in preparation for a 2008 rollout.
Consumers, on the other hand, will simply find Vista replacing Windows XP Home on store shelves and on Dell Inc.'s Web site, said Sam Bhavnani, an analyst at Current Analysis Inc. in San Diego. Microsoft can exert pressure on consumer PC vendors to move quickly to Vista, but it has to tread more carefully among corporate users who have standardized on Windows XP, he said.
Vista could become more attractive for consumers and retailers as Microsoft and PC vendors push 64-bit capabilities in 2007, Bhavnani said. Even if 64-bit applications are not widely available at the start of 2007, Microsoft