[mbreckon]

I'd like to think we are going to see a new wave of innovation on the desktop - web apps have been catching up to a mostly static target but perhaps now there will be enough impetus to improve. I think that workflow and data relation management are two areas that the desktop has an advantage over the web (mostly due to processing power, speed of data transfer and graphics capability)

I'll stick my neck out: due to the influence of mobile and web apps the file system and explorer as we know it will have disappeared in 5 years to be replaced with something better.

[brudgers]

Windows 8?

[mbreckon]

I said better! :-) no seriously, the desktop in Win 8 hasn't changed and the metro side doesn't make the most of the graphics processing power or real estate of a desktop machine.