From Practical AI to virtual reality, 2016 has proved PCs aren't going anywhere

This was a year full of innovation in the PC space. What makes the year particularly interesting, however, is that many of its advancements are in early stages. Call it the year of the beta: many advancements were either first introduced in 2016, or barely made their way from the concept stage to the market. Artificial intelligence has taken on significant real-world importance in everyday computing, after spending decades as a darling of science fiction, and relegated to researchers running experiments on massively parallel systems. And indeed, "strong AI" –a machine that's as intelligent as a human – remains a goal that's likely far in the future.