PC99 spec looks to the future

Ever wonder what the typical PC of 1999 will be like? Look no further: Microsoft and Intel have released their PC99 specification, which provideshardware manufacturers with guidelines for baseline business desktopsystems. By mid-1999, a basic desktop should include a 300 MHz Pentium IIprocessor, at least 64 MB of RAM, and no ISA slots. ISA slots, which haveexisted in some form since the original IBM PC debuted in 1983, do not support Plug and Play. The two companies have been recommending the deathof ISA for some time now, and finally support for the slow-speed bus doesappear to be dwindling.

"The goal is to ensure the availability of hardware and drivers that provide a good user experience with Windows NT and Windows 98," said SriramSubramanian, a product manager for Windows hardware at Microsoft