WHAT WILL BE the big technology trends for 2005? Like most predictions, they are easy to make and even easier to get wrong. This is how we see some developments shaping up this year:
Micro-drives everywhere Last year was the year of the iPod. Apple's digital music player - in particular the iPod Mini - won plaudits and fans for its sleek design and small form factor, which allows thousands of your favourite tunes to go where you go.
Apple's success could not have been possible without small hard disk drives, which can put up to 60 gigabytes of storage capacity in your pocket. Countless imitators also make digital music players equipped with micro-drives, and the storage devices are beginning to appear in portable digital video players as well.
What's next? Digital video cameras are an obvious choice. Micro-drives will allow easier transfer of home movies to PCs, and eliminate the need for tape.
JVC has put its Everio GZ-MC200 on the market. It comes with a 4GB one-inch drive manufactured by Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. But at a price tag of almost $9,000, the GZ-MC200 remains a product aimed at technophiles prepared to pay dearly for a cool gadget.
This will change as rivals put competing products on the market. So if you have been considering the Everio, chances are the price will drop considerably in a few months.