My daughter has asked for a Windows laptop for Christmas, for schoolwork and games. I'm a Mac user and haven't set up a Windows machine for many years so I'd appreciate any advice ... except "get her a Mac/Linux" from below the line! Windows has changed a lot in the past decade, and now it's a mobile operating system. If your daughter has some experience with Google Android, she'll probably cope quite well. Many of Windows 10's main features came from the mobile world.

Though some critics love to knock PCs as dinosaurs, laptops and desktops have gotten sexier, faster and even smarter. For every blue screen of death, there are droves of technological enhancements driving PCs into the era of virtual reality, 4K video and 5G connectivity. Here are the top 10 PC technology and trends to watch next year. An Intel employee demonstrates the company's Project Alloy headset on stage during IDF 2016 in San Francisco on August 16, 2016. VR devices will come in many new shapes and sizes, with some of them acting essentially as PCs that fit on your head.

Now that the Amazon Echo is available in the UK, lots of brands and services have been working on introducing their own Alexa Skills. Owners can ask the intelligent digital assistant for news updates, to hail an Uber and even re-order their favourite takeaway, but one important feature has been missing: IFTTT integration. US owners have enjoyed IFTTT integration for over a year, but the recipe-based service has finally confirmed the launch of its Alexa channel in the UK. Connecting everything up is as simple as visiting the Alexa channel and following the prompts. It'll first request access to Alexa, which requires logging into the Amazon account linked with the Echo, and then ask to integrate with the chosen service. Currently, the channel hosts recipes that allow interaction with Hue lights, Samsung's SmartThings hub, smart thermostats, Evernote, Spotify and Google Drive.

SAN FRANCISCO: Mark Zuckerberg envisions a software system inspired by the "Iron Man" character Jarvis as a virtual butler managing his household. The Facebook founder's dream is about artificial intelligence, which is slowly but surely creeping into our daily lives, no longer just science fiction. Artificial intelligence or AI is getting a foothold in people's homes, starting with the Amazon devices like its Echo speaker which links to a personal assistant "Alexa" to answer questions and control connected devices such as appliances or light bulbs. Analyst Carolina Milanesi of the research firm Creative Strategies said that "2016 was the year about raising awareness, and exposing consumers to the idea of AI in a more mass market way." Milanesi said it may take time for the technology to fulfill its potential, noting that companies need "a strong hook" to bring large numbers of consumers into this world.

Artificial intelligence is everywhere, from autonomous cars made by Google and Tesla to Siri the virtual assistant.

Microsoft's new plan is to flood your entire life with artificial intelligence "We want to bring intelligence to everything, to everywhere, and for everyone," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told developers earlier this year. Artificial intelligence has been the company's touchstone technology since Cortana, Microsoft's virtual personal assistant was added to Windows more than a year ago. Since then Microsoft has released a deluge of AI-bolstered features in its operating system and standalone software. Skype is augmented with real-time translation. You can talk to bots built on Microsoft software on nearly any messaging platform, and a suite of tools for developers mean the apps you use every day can be configured to call a Microsoft server to identify a face in an image or run speech recognition.

Smartphones evolved from a mere phone to an artificially intelligent computer in your pocket when Apple introduced Siri to the iOS users. It's with Siri that the need for smartphone assistants was fueled in the first place. Siri has come a long way since 2011 with numerous updates that easily brushed off every other competition on the market. But when Google Assistant made its appearance on May 2016, Siri's effortlessly maintained victory started showing signs of defeat. Google Assistant is Google's newest virtual assistant. It is compatible not only with Google Pixel smartphones but also with the Google Allo app.

Those who own the voice-activated gadget (known colloquially as Alexa, after its female interlocutor) are prone to proselytising "her" charms, applauding Alexa's ability to call an Uber, order a pizza or check a pupil's maths homework. The company says more than 5 000 people a day profess their love for Alexa. On the other hand, Alexa devotees also know that, unless you speak to her … very … clearly … and … slowly, she's likely to say: "Sorry, I don't have the answer to that question." I love her," one customer wrote on Amazon's website, but still awarded Alexa five stars. "You will very quickly learn how to talk to her in a way that she will understand and it's not unlike speaking to a small frustrating toddler."

Microsoft is joining Google and Amazon in the race for your home. This week, at an event in China, the venerable tech giant trumpeted the arrival of Project Evo, a sweeping plan to build hardware devices that work a lot like Google Home or the Amazon Echo. But this race is much bigger than some gadgets that sit on your coffee table. The prize is more than just the best home digital assistant. The biggest spoils go to the company that rides its assistant to artificial brains that are far smarter -- and creates a market for using these brains to do just about anything. Google, Amazon, and Microsoft are all racing to build systems that recognize and truly understand natural language -- how you and I talk.

David Lazarus' column runs Tuesdays and Fridays. He also can be seen daily on KTLA-TV (Channel 5) and followed on Twitter @Davidlaz. Send your tips or feedback to david.lazarus@latimes.com.