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Tech buzz to continue in 2006
On the cards are a new MS operating system, flat panels, net tech, digital cameras and a stable tech job market.
A new operating system from Microsoft, a new wireless standard, flat panel mania, a plethora of powerful Internet technologies, new digital cameras, and a stable tech job market - 2006 will provide plenty of buzz for technology fans, say experts.
Some of the things to look out for:
Windows Vista to force mass upgrading
Sometime in 2006, Microsoft will unveil a Windows Vista, the much-anticipated successor to the Windows XP operating system.
Microsoft currently claims that Vista will work fine on the majority of mid-range computers currently in use. The company also claims to be working hard to ensure compatibility with the huge installed base of Windows-compatible software programs.
But Vista is a radical overhaul of Windows XP, with interface enhancements that will suck every bit of computing power from your existing PC or notebook - and then some.
Hardware requirements have been drastically scaled back from the days when prototypes of Vista were floating around, yet they're still steep - and probably underestimated.
Vista will undoubtedly cause lots of incompatibilities - big and small - with existing software programmes. Unfortunately, if migrations to previous operating systems can be used as a guide, Vista may cost us all far more than the price of the upgrade.
Digital SLRs become affordable
Today you can spend $400 to $600 for a compact digital camera and still end up with a device that snaps a picture a full two seconds after you press the shutter button. That's unacceptable.
The only digital cameras that respond acceptably to your wishes are those that accept interchangeable lenses.
They are referred to as digital single lens reflex cameras, or DSLRs. They have always commanded a price premium that has been unreasonable. A professional standard DSLR, for instance, has typically retailed for four to six times the price of a comparable film-based camera.
That started to change late in 2005, and you can expect the trend to pick up steam in 2006. Entry-level DSLRs from Canon and Nikon are now just fractionally more expensive than mid-range pocket digitals but they offer you a true film-like picture-taking experience.
HD hits the mainstream
The widespread acceptance of flat-panel televisions has been hampered by two things - the cost of the panels and the fact that a high-definition signal that takes full advantage of the technology has not been available for many users.
Prices of flat-panel TVs will come down to affordable levels in 2006. They are on the verge of being affordable now, and you can expect that increased competition and improved yields will push the prices significantly lower soon.
Add to that the fact that high definition DVDs are right around corner and high-def television signals are being rolled out at affordable rates in more communities, and you see the beginning of a flood of HD TVs.
IT job market seen firming
Information tech workers have been holding their collective breaths for years, as downsizing and offshoring have been the order of the day.
Offshoring would not go away, but a stabilising world economy and an upturn in the cycle of technology-based corporate purchases and initiatives will solidify the IT job market in developed nations and even create labour shortages in some areas.
US-based IT research firm Gartner Group says, however, that the IT specialist will be less in demand than the person who can wear many hats within an information technology organisation.
IT labour shortages will also force companies to raise salaries and engage retention strategies that have been abandoned in previous years, according to US-based Foote Partners.
In all, 2006 will show that the world of technology is as vibrant as ever.
