In recent years, tech enthusiasts have turned to Microsoft's spring hardware conference as a chance to get juicy tidbits on where the software maker was headed with the next version of Windows.
With Windows Vista having hit store shelves in January, things will be a little different this week when more than 2,000 people descend on downtown Los Angeles for the annual Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC). There, the software maker is expected to split its attention between talking about how Vista is doing and looking forward to two server releases--Longhorn Server and Windows Home Server, both due later this year.
"Every year is different," said Kevin Kutz, a director in the Windows Client unit. "It's always something of great value for hardware engineers and the industry at large. Some years are bigger than others in terms of news for a broader audience."