Fort Lauderdale computer repair experts and industry analysts alike note that Windows Vista hasn't exactly lept to the top of the personal computing business.

It has just 30 percent of the market last week, as measured by one statistics firm - and one of the operating system's most hyped components may already be near dead.

According to most Fort Lauderdale computer repair experts, that is the "SideShow" feature Microsoft that allows Vista Home Premium and other editions of the operating system to display a subset of relevant information on a small, secondary screen.

It sounds great, but it hasn't gone as smoothly as planned.

Industry observers say in the run-up to the launch of this particular operating system, there was a great deal of interest and even excitement about the concept.

But manufacturers didn't add SideShow displays to their products. In fact, with rare exceptions (such as one Dell XPS desktop), they ignored it outright.

It may be too soon to put a nail in SideShow's coffin - this technology may yet find a useful role in such computing peripherals as digital picture frames.

But when you look at Microsoft's prior attempts to promote new hardware designs or features - and considering the past failures of high-profile initiatives like Portable Media Centers, Windows Powered Smart Displays and Ultra Mobile PCs - the odds look slim.

It's not that the PC industry is necessarily resistant to change, either; it just doesn't appear eager to follow Microsoft's lead specifically.

The biggest change in the shape of PCs in recent years - cheap, light "netbook" laptops - not only didn't happen on Microsoft's watch, it outright threatens Microsoft, since so many of these machines run an open-source operating system.

In truth, a Windows vs. Linux race may already be underway.