ExtremeTech take a look at the impact that Windows Vista will have on the future of computer hardware. In addition to obvious elements like CPUs, GPUs, and display interfaces, the article also touches on things like DRM (which Vista heavily supports) and audio formats. Here's a taster:

Windows Vista will signal the beginning of the end of 32-bit processing on the PC. Microsoft is striving to ensure that the 64-bit version has driver support equal to the 32-bit version, and will be packaging both variants in the same box. While there will still be some compatibility issues with older software, moving to 64-bit Vista for desktop PC users will be substantially easier than trying to run the 64-bit version of Windows XP. Both Intel and AMD will be offering a full line of 64-bit capable desktop, mobile, and server CPUs to support the push to 64-bit. What that means is that you'll want more memory. When running in 32-bit mode, more memory helps to a certain degree. But with 64-bit Vista, the sky will be the limit, as far as memory support goes. Even if you're only running 32-bit apps on Vista, you'll want more DRAM, since each application gets its own 4GB address space.

The real issue isn't processor support or operating system support. The problem is motherboard support for high memory capacities-or rather, the lack of support. Today, most desktop motherboards support a maximum of 8GB of RAM, and some max out at 4GB. Users who move to 64-bit Vista will want more. Maybe they won't want it right away, but eventually they will. So the motherboard makers will need to take user requirements for more DRAM into account in future designs. Another consumer of memory will be the video card or video subsystem, in the case of integrated graphics. As the displays get bigger, people will want more and more windows open on the desktop. Lots of windows, running on high DPI displays, will eat video memory like a hungry piranhas coming across a hapless wading cow.