Your PC in 2008 and Beyond

Battles to Watch

Here are the top technology fights to follow in the coming years.

AMD vs. Intel: Though Intel currently has the performance edge with its Core 2 line and its quad processor, AMD will soon counter with the release of its own quad-core Phenom chips. Expect things to heat up in a big way with the release of consumer graphics-integrated CPUs in 2009.

DRM vs. unrestricted access: Will user outrage prompt entertainment resellers to come up with a sensible copy-protection scheme, or will corporations overrun fair-use rights with pay-per-play media services? We're putting our money on a compromise between the two, as some labels have already begun offering DRM-free music through iTunes and other services in response to consumer demand for more flexible formats.

Windows vs. Mac vs. Linux: IDC estimates Apple's market share at roughly 5 percent in the United States, while Linux is gaining popularity around the world, particularly with governments and educational institutions. Most estimates still peg Linux desktop users at around 1 percent of the market, but the numbers appear to be climbing. This year, Dell and Lenovo gave Linux desktop users a boost by adding to their product lines systems with Linux preinstalled.

Microsoft vs. Google: Microsoft's long-standing dominance in the office-productivity software arena is facing new threats from the likes of Google, which offers its own productivity suite--Google Docs--online. While Docs has yet to make significant inroads against Microsoft Office, Microsoft's efforts to beat Google at its own game with Live.com have yet to bear fruit. CEO Steve Ballmer's July announcement that Microsoft will begin shifting to a "Web-enabled desktop" in the coming years suggests that the company takes Google's threat seriously.