Top 10 IT thrillers

Unless you've been living the life of a hermit for the past few weeks you'll have heard that the diamanté-gloved pop star Michael Jackson has gone to the great gig in the sky.

We try and make these top 10 lists timely so, in honour of his possibly best known track, we decided to look at the most thrilling technologies out there. In fact, Jackson inspired us to another top 10 idea which we'll do next week when he's not so warm in his coffin, since it's a tad less respectful.

A great many products and technologies are bad, really really bad. So bad, in fact, that you want to tell the vendor to beat it. Some, however, are real thrillers. Perhaps they seem a bit off the wall at first, but once they hit the market everyone loves them, whether black or white [OK, we get the point: Ed.].

To some the idea that technology can be thrilling at all may seem a little odd, but what can we say, we're geeks and make no apology for the fact.

This week, we honour the departed king of pop by counting down the best technology thrillers, essential tools and cool innovations fit for a king.

Honourable mention: Windows 7
Iain Thomson: OK, we had a bit of a row about this one. Shaun expressed the opinion (in rather salty terms) that nothing Microsoft had made should ever make it onto a list of thrilling technologies. However, I held out for the inclusion of Windows 7 because I am a little bit thrilled that it's coming out.

This isn't down to the basic technology itself, although there are some really nice features in the new operating system. What's thrilling about Windows 7 is that it isn't Vista. At last new computer buyers are going to get a halfway decent operating system rather than the three legged dog that is Vista.

So yes, Windows 7 does give me a little thrill. Sure, its coders haven't hit the Ballmer Peak as far as we can tell, but it'll be a relief to consign Vista to the dustbin of history.

Shaun Nichols: As Iain said, the most thrilling thing about Windows 7 is that it isn't Vista. Sure, Vista may have got a bad reputation that wasn't entirely deserved, but the fact is that Microsoft failed miserably with its last OS release and as a result many users are still running an OS that is closing in on its 10th birthday.

As reliable and broken-in as Windows XP has become, the old platform is really starting to show its age. If Microsoft can execute the release and deployment of Windows 7 properly. the it might just thrill a few users too.

Honourable mention: Fuel cell technology
Shaun Nichols: Perhaps this earns me a spot among the biggest nerds ever to walk the planet, but the recent advances in fuel cells have been pretty cool. Not only are they being used to power cars, but there have also been companies, such as IBM, that have looked into powering notebooks with fuel cells to achieve super-long battery life.

Yes, widespread adoption, if it ever happens, is still way off in the distance, and there are plenty of hurdles to overcome, but the potential for this technology is huge, and the impact it could potentially have is enormous.

Iain Thomson: It does seem like a bit of a dream - a laptop power supply that runs on fuel cells - but that dream is becoming reality.

Fuel cell technology does offer some major benefits, once it is fully matured. At the moment things are in the very early stages and fuel cells are bulky and relatively inefficient compared to their eventual promise. But it's a bit like comparing a Model T Ford to a Bugatti Veyron.

But thrilling? I'm not so sure. Certainly I'm thrilled at the promise, but the current implementation leaves me a little cold.

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