With no major software debuts imminent, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates used his state-of-the-computing-world address

Sunday to call for a greater role for desktop PCs. In his Comdex address at the MGM Grand Hotel here, Gates also showcased new technology to help bring the PC back to its former leading role—including what he called a Tablet PC, a pen-driven but fully functional computer. In defending the importance of the PC, Gates took aim at the approach of rivals such as Sun Microsystems by outlining future hardware and software that take advantage of the full power of today's desktop computers. He argued that even sleek portables need the power of a desktop PC. In essence, Gates painted a future of the Internet that does not bypass Microsoft's franchise Windows operating system—which has made Microsoft one of the most powerful companies in the world and Gates its richest citizen. Sun and other companies, however, envision a more varied future, with most of the Internet's complexity placed on central servers and everything from pagers to cell phones being used to access the Internet via these servers.