I do believe integration between OS and BIOS is the way to go, and having Microsoft dominating a huge share of the PC market, that means they should be a major player in a new era of next-generation BIOS.

The catch is of course, enforcing DRM (digital rights management) on a lower hardware level would seem to be one of the main interests of the software giant... but, granting permission or any kind of control over my stored content? None of us would stand that any of these days. I can already see TechSpot becoming a linux website... if you know what I mean.

Both Microsoft and Phoenix are currently arguing for closer integration of Windows with PC hardware, and DRM integrated throughout. Microsoft is planning to tie Windows DRM features to the hardware platform via its controversial Next Generation Secure Computing Base (NGSCB) project, formerly known as Palladium. NGSCB is associated with the next version of Windows, code-named Longhorn, which is due in about two years' time.

I must say that I'm really looking forward to more advanced BIOS'es, offering the kind of manageability you find on high-end servers where you via a service port can log in and monitor the server via a second monitoring processor even when the server is turned off (possible due to the 5v standby line)

Those are the futures that will be really nice to have on consumer level PC's also...

Though the part about Palladium makes me wanna puke... Though it will be possible to be turned off...

And I'm also assuming that another market will be created, one with motherboards with all the new good features but none of the bad ones like palladium....