Sometime later in 2007, Apple will be releasing Leopard, their Vista killer. To be more accurate, and excuse the analogy, but if Vista and Leopard were babies, Microsoft's child would be the awkward, shy premature twin, and Leopard would be the vibrant confident loud and bullish one still on the way.

Back in the real world... no doubt, millions on Windows have seen Vista, liked the eye candy, liked the idea of a robust and fairly logical Operating System - at last - and then realised they can't work out which version does what they need.

Microsoft don't care about the hesitancy at home. They have a monopoly with all their ducks lined up in a row. Whichever way the wind blows, they will sell ga-millions and are especially happy, waiting for mega savvy corporate buyers to bite the bullet and pull the trigger for the first time in years.

Meanwhile, major PC manufacturers are also confident they will get a boost in seasonal sales too, but will they actually attract quite as much business as they are expecting? Rhetorical question, to which the answer is - not if Apple can help it.

Intel Macs can run Leopard AND Vista, XP et al, (all at the same time if you feel like it), and if you factor in the halo effect of iPods, iTunes, and iPhones, Safari and no viruses, so, more of the population are debating the switch.

Bottom line, every sale of a Mac is one less sale to Dell or HP etc. Like I care. But it is a double oh dear, because as PC makers look to their Richmond god for a lead of some sort, Microsoft will just shrug and like a happy hooker, rake in the sale from upmarket cash-rich Apple instead.

And to really rub it in to everyone, Microsoft will continue to make more from a Mac sale than Apple do! When you factor in Office and now Windows Vista on the list for shoppers of Macs, Dells, HPs and the rest, Bill Gates legacy software cannot lose for winning. Lucky bastard.