20/20 Foresight

Future PC Specs

2004: Your Next PCs

Your desktop PC in 2004: Two years from now, your desktop system will be slimmer and trimmer. Flat-panel screens will replace bulky CRTs, and rewritable-DVD drives and fast graphics subsystems will turn your PC into a movie lover's dream.

CPU and RAM: 4- to 5-GHz microprocessor with 512MB of DDR memory and a 600-MHz system bus

Hard disk: From 300GB to 400GB on a Serial ATA bus

Removable storage: Rewritable DVD and--yes--the unsinkable 1.44MB floppy

Internet connection: Cable or DSL broadband if you're lucky; 56-kbps modem if not

Video: 3D graphics card with 128MB of video RAM

Display: 18- to 21-inch flat-panel LCD screen capable of 1600 by 1200 resolution

Ports: USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394

Input devices: Wireless (Bluetooth) mouse and keyboard

Operating system: Some version of Windows (you expected Linux, perhaps?)

Other: An 802.11b wireless network designed for users with more than one PC

Price: $1500 to $2000

Your notebook PC in 2004: By 2004 a notebook will be many users' only PC. These mobile monsters will have the power to replace desktops, but will stay slender enough to tuck into a briefcase. Screens won't get much larger than 15 inches, though--any bigger and you would lose portability--and battery life will improve, but not as much as most users would like.

CPU and RAM: 2- to 3-GHz chip with 256MB of RAM

Hard disk: 60GB to 80GB with Serial ATA interface

Removable storage: Rewritable DVD; some form of CompactFlash card

Internet connection: Broadband access through wireless networks in your office or the nearest Starbucks

Wireless technologies: 802.11 for connecting to a LAN; Bluetooth for communicating with other devices

Display: 15-inch LCD; video headset accessory for truly mobile (and private) work

Dimensions: 2 to 3 pounds and less than 1 inch thick

Battery: No fuel cells yet, but lithium ion units will be good for 5 to 10 hours of life per charge

Operating system: Windows

Price: $2000 and up