Sun rival Microsoft is trumping a standard known as Universal Plug and Play to compete with Sun's system. Conflicts don't end there. Computer companies hope the network will be centered around a PC that behaves something like a home server. Among competing networking schemes are connections through home phone lines, power lines and wireless. But those must come down in cost, something Gates believes is about a year away.
Consumer awareness is another huge hurdle.
But grander visions will take time. For its part, the AOL-Time Warner union might finally make video chat a reality, says technology consultant Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies. That's because AOL could use two-way switches on Time Warner's cable pipes.