Here is my New Year's (Christmas?) List, for next year:

(1) First and foremost, with DRAM and NAND prices in the tank and the tough market, it will force restructuring in 'memory industry' over the next 1-2 years; expect 3-4 NAND makers and 3-4 DRAM makers to survive independently, and shrink more from there over time

(2) DDR3 DRAMs, now 2-3 years late, are slowly making their way into market...but the DRAM roadmap is being rewritten continuously with reduced voltage versions and higher density and GHz starting points for DDR3 to replace DDR2...for sure 2Gb and 1333MHz, maybe more before traction builds. DDR4? Well, with changes taking place, it's really too early to talk about it. Later life-cycle DDR3s will add features and get power down, without sacrificing performance. (The industry is on Rev 2 or 3 of the 6-7-8 DDR3 designs that will happen in the DDR3 lifecycle. Recall that SDR DRAMs started in ~1997 at 450-500nm 'half micron', and are today down to 120nm or better for the volume runners, 128M-512M densities...5-6 shrinks over ten years, and maybe more to come)

(3) Netbooks are the hottest 'compute trend' in years (10 y. for sure, maybe 15-20): (a) v. affordable, esp. for BRIC economies, (b) often uncoupled from WinTel, (c) 'blank slate' designs; (d) Maybe where SSD gets its first major (total) foothold. (e) Already 10-12MU+ in 2008, growing 40-50%/year? With huge advances in cost, performance and miniaturization ("high functional density at low cost")...plus years of 'consumer acceptance training', suddenly, now is the time, and small is the form factor.

(4) SSDs, the next big thing (for NAND), are likewise tackling technical and marketing issues one by one, with some success; the problem is complicated by product diversity, different (and heretofore, uncertain) applications market needs (R/W, endurance, cost, SLC-MLC-x3-x4) and associated enablement architecture-software-legacy issues (like 'drop-in-to-match HDD slots). It will be hit-and-miss for a long while, but will find the right way into many large applications over the coming several years. Today's market slaughter will bring improved prices and understanding of both the product and applications needs. There is much to be learned, decided...and opportunities abound, in getting to "The Best, First" with designs and product offerings; anyone can have tomorrow's "Standard" named after them...Xerox, Kleenex, iPod...if they are first to the right configuration/choice/implementation/vision. The controller roadmap(s) is in a state of unusual disarray and uncertainty (= opportunity), as all raw flash trends...multibit cells and process shrinks, adequate signaling...push "NAND memory subsystem remediation and error correction" problems off onto the controller, while the 'get cost/GB down' problem resides with the raw NAND array.

(5) The playing field will look v. different when we come out of the tough market: more big company dominance, way-way lower prices. The major trends apparent in 2005-6-7, paused for recession, to come back with renewed strength: BRIC growth, Low power, CE moves to displace computering as driving engine...your major end system buyer will be the householder, not Corporate America/Europe/Asia, plus maybe weaker architectural dominance by the Icons of past 20 years: Asian CE companies are the antithesis of Intel.