The front door on this house has no keyhole. Which is not to say it's vulnerable. Security couldn't be more important at 16100 NE 159th Avenue. There's the future to protect. Instead of traditional locks, there's an electronic kiosk with a touchscreen, a biometric scanner, and a smartcard reader. Go ahead and make eye contact; if you're a match, you'll pass through into your future home - a time and place a half-dozen years from now when your living quarters will recognize you, communicate with you, and anticipate your every need.

Sounds great, right? Microsoft is banking on it. 16100 NE 159th Avenue is also known as the Microsoft Home and is modeled on Bill Gates' own Seattle mansion. Powered by four PCs running Windows XP, it features dozens of networked monitors, Xboxes, appliances, and consumer electronics devices scattered everywhere. Life is good when you're the king of software. There is, however, another model home on the Microsoft campus, one that offers a glimpse of a different life. It, too, has the fully outfitted living room, bedrooms, and study, but rather than custom equipment dreamed up for the geek who has everything, this faux ranch house is a showcase for products Microsoft is actually shipping as part of its eHome effort. Although the hardware is much the same - Windows XP boxes and fast networks - the result is not.