After six months, I finally broke down and retired an older laptop to another use (a "family" PC) and went on the hunt for a newer laptop computer system a few weeks ago. This past weekend, a choice was made and a new slim box was purchased with a new notebook inside, ready to be torn apart the second I walked back in the door at home. Now, I'm no fan of large notebooks, like those with 17" screens or even 15.4" screens. I went with a smaller notebook with a 14.1" screen so that those extended typing sessions would be easier on my lap than a nine-pound monster. Of course, the new system came with Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) newer Windows Vista operating system.

Having had a few issues upgrading to Windows Vista in the past few months, I was already leery of the operating system, although it came pre-installed on this new notebook. Having two gigabytes of memory in the new notebook was the bigger factor I had looked for, since having plenty of operating memory is what makes things slick and fast according to the computer experts I had sought out for advice. Although I own Microsoft shares, many of the company's moves irk me; while many delight me (you'll know this from reading my various posts on Microsoft). Was Vista going to be a former or a latter product? Read on.

After about three days of installing software and working with this new laptop feverishly to meet deadlines and get things organized this weekend, I do say that Windows Vista is not only pretty but does work very fast and seems very stable. Some of the newer changes from Windows XP are taking a little getting used to, but I can live with it. So far, speed seems much faster than my previous laptop (bought at the end of 2006), although the technical specs are very similar. My verdict on Windows Vista so far is that it is a speedy and workable platform, and every single older application I installed (used previously on Windows XP) worked flawlessly with Vista. Whew.

Is Microsoft ready to move into the living room? While recent efforts by the world's largest computer operating system maker have flopped in its wish to bridge the PC universe and the living room entertainment universe, recent demos I have seen make me think that the day is near when a nice, seamless, and non-crashing convergence of the PC room and the plasma TV-laden living room will be here.

With Microsoft being at CES this week (Consumer Electronics Show) and demonstrating once again how the Windows universe will be the entertainment hub for living rooms worldwide, content and hardware partnerships -- ones that actually work -- are surfacing as the operating system giant knows that it *must* move into the living room and become as central to the living room as the laptop or desktop.

Does Microsoft have more plans for the Xbox 360 than just a gaming console? Could the unit be used to provide an Internet gateway to one HDTV so that all the Internet content you use now on the PC -- web browsing, TV, Music, Email, etc. -- could be moved into an area where it's ultimately more accessible? If you're used to fighting over the remote control now, just wait.