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Five years in the making, Microsoft's first major update to the Windows operating system (OS) since 2001 finally went on sale today, with some retail stores, such as CompUSA, opening their doors at 12 AM to give those willing to stay up first crack at the new desktop platform. While relatively few people reportedly braved the predominantly cold weather throughout the country to get their hands on the new OS this morning, it is expected to be a huge success over time.

With extensive hardware requirements will it ever be possible for device manufacturers to squeeze Vista into a pocketable handheld, as has been done with Windows XP (i.e. OQO model 01+, Sony VAIO UX, and the DualCor cPC)? The answer is yes. And it will happen sooner than you might think.

But first, here are Vista’s extensive hardware requirements:

Unlike with the release of Windows 95 twelve years ago, most folks who would like to upgrade to Vista must either greatly enhance there current system - unless they bought it in the last year or so - or, more likely it seems, simply buy a new computer. That's because Vista, which comes in several flavors (Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Enterprise, & Ultimate), requires - at a minimum - a 800 MHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, DirectX 9, and a 20 GB hard disk drive with 15 GB free.

Even with these specs you'll miss out on some of Vista's special features and high-end graphics options—such as the pizzazz delivered by the translucent user interface.

To really get the most out of Vista a computer needs a 1 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, a DirectX 9 capable Graphics Processing Unit with Hardware Pixel Shader v2.0 and Windows Display Driver Model driver support, 128 MB of graphics memory to support resolutions up 1920 × 1200 pixels or 512 MB for anything greater (e.g. 2560 x 1600 pixels), and a 40 GB hard disk drive with 15 GB free.

Keeping these requirements, two vendors, Sony and OQO already have new Vista-enabled products ready to go.

Sony is taking pre-orders now for two new versions of its UX series of Micro PCs, both running Vista Business edition and sporting a 1.33 GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 4.5-inch widescreen touch display with support for a 1024 x 600 pixel resolution, a slider keyboard, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and integrated Wide Area Networking through Cingular's 2.5G wireless EDGE network.

The $2,000 VAIO UX VGN-UX380N has a 40 GB hard drive to the $2,500 VAIO UX VGN-UX390N's 32 GB flash drive for faster booting, program and access, battery savings, and immunity to vibrations and shocks. A battery draws less power when accessing storage doesn't require moving parts and storage is sturdier for the same reason.

There's also two cameras, a VGA shooter on the front and 1.3 megapixel in the back, a microphone, biometric fingerprint sensor, speakers, a Memory Stick slot and a docking station. The VAIO UX devices measure 5.91 x 3.74 x 1.27 inches (1.50 with keyboard extended) and weigh about 1.2 pounds.

At CES earlier this month, OQO unveiled the follow up to its OQO model 01+ Micro PC, the OQO model 2. As with the Sony VIAO UX models, its closes rival, the model 2 runs Windows Vista. The one-pound, 5.6 x 3.3 x 1.0-inch device is pretty much an across-the-board upgrade over the previous edition.

And whereas the model 01+ wasn't considered a Ultra Mobile Personal Computer (UMPC), OQO (with the support of Microsoft) is calling the model O2 the first handheld-sized PC in a new UMPC Pro category.

OQO says model 02 is up to four times faster than the last version and its display is over six times brighter. The slide-out QWERTY thumb-keyboard is now backlit and TouchScrollers - for horizontal and vertical scrolling - have been added for easier input and navigation.

There's also a bevy of wireless connectivity options integrated into the model O2: Sprint-powered EV-DO 3G cellular, 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP to support wireless stereo headphones.

In addition to a USB 2.0 port, a microphone, 3.5mm audio out headphone jack and line-in connecter, and VGA out, the model O2 includes a HDMI-out multimedia port. HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is designed to replace the maze of cabling used for home entertainment centers with a single connector.

In addition to Vista, the model 02 is built on 1.5 GHz VIA ultramobile processor, 60 GB hard disk drive, and 1GB of RAM. It sports an 800 x 480 pixel 5-inch touch-screen that can be interpolated up to a 1200 x 720 pixel resolution.

The rugged magnesium alloy chassis of the model 02 is a sleeker black now as well.

And there's an optional docking cradle that includes a choice of a dual layer DVD±RW/DVD-RAM or CD±RW/DVD-ROM optical drive, HDMI and Video out, 3 USB ports, 100 Base-T Ethernet, and an audio out / line-in port.

The model 02 starts at $ 1,499.

In addition to the Sony and OQO pocketable PCs, expect to see a Vista-powered upgrade to Samsung's Q1 UMPC and a growing number of additional UMPCs running Microsoft's newest PC platform.