Over the next few years, you can expect to see more multipurpose video boards with hardware designed to speed up full-motion video, draw detailed 3-D objects at lightning speed and interface seamlessly with standard TV equipment.

Intel has developed versions of its Pentium microprocessor that provide enhanced video support. That should create a new generation of video adapters designed to take advantage of the processor.

All this doesn't mean your video adapter will become obsolete tomorrow, because mainstream software publishers are pretty good about making sure their programs will run on older equipment.

However, over time, new generations of hardware create a large enough market to capture publishers' attention. They're less likely to worry about programs that won't run on the oldest available equipment.

With video adapters, this phenomenon is mostly likely to show up in entertainment or multimedia software. Some day you'll find that a new game or educational title won't run on your video adapter. Then you'll have to decide if the video board is worth replacing, or if it's time to buy a new computer altogether.