The Vista-ready
Toshiba Portege R400

A feature-packed Windows Vista. Windows Home Server. IPTV-enabled XBox. Internet-connected Fords. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Sunday, Bill Gates showed some of his cards in the impending showdown with Apple in 2007 and beyond.

According to the Red Herring, Gates said Microsoft can deliver the ultimate digital lifestyle connecting people from mobile devices to the living room to the car, while Windows Home Server, out in the second half of 2007, will act as the central hub.

Microsoft's Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) - which will rival Apple's iTV set-top box - will connect people to the web through the Xbox 360 by the end of the year.

The bulk of Gates's presentation dealt with the long-awaited Vista operating system. The Vista will feature video wallpaper, and brands will offer tailored applications - like Foxsports's own version of Windows Media Player, and Showtime and Nickelodeon versions of Vista, according to the E-Commerce News.

Several new Vista-powered PCs were also shown off, including a Toshiba Portege R400 mobile PC with wireless docking capability and an HP model with touch-screen capability.