New technologies: Updated availability schedule

If we look quickly, here are a few of the significant availability dates for some important technologies for PC computers around us:

• Windows Vista: awaited for the first week of October
• HD-DVD: announced for March 2006, but probably without write capacity (because DRM will not be implemented yet)
• Blu-Ray DVD: announced for May 2006 at Sony, without DRM.
• Panasonic, Toshiba and Sony announced their HD-DVD and Blu-Ray DVD equiped with AACS (it will limit the ability to copy files and medias) from the beginning of Summer.
• Apple launches it first Intel-based Mac Mini, but availability is not known (probably before Summer, maybe in May).

There are many technologies that seem to limit the availability (without copy-protection systems, the high-performance or high-capacity DVDs will probably not be allowed to write to media). the 1 billion dollar question is whether or not consumers will be lured into new features and added capacity.