2007 has been, without question, a fascinating year. Our American culture has become so complex--for better or for worse--that I find it difficult to isolate the facts, movements and nuances of a simple story of the year in technology terms.

Sure, I might be able to say that this year's biggest tech hit was easily Apple's iPhone, an ber-gadget among ber-gadgets. I can't recall a more tumultuous rollout of a product. The buzz was deafening and the day the iPhone was released, you'd think we'd finally cured the common cold, brought peace to the Middle East, and convinced Vladimir Putin that democracy actually was in Russia's best interests.

It turned out that the iPhone was just a really cool phone-web-surfer-music-video-player that fit into your pocket in just about the same space that $600 dollars used to fill.

Unfortunately, the most boneheaded marketing move of the year can also be claimed by Apple's iPhone, when Apple dropped the price of its ber-gadget by $200. Instead of hearing the cries of a grateful nation, Apple heard the deafening roar of angry consumers who had just weeks before paid full price for early-adopter prestige. Steve Jobs rushed to the streets with $200 checks to calm the angry masses.

It was a stunning misstep by a company ordinarily adored by its fans.

Another tech wow that went thud was the release of Windows Vista. Without question, Vista is the best--and most secure--Windows ever, and its interface and features are slick and solid. But so what?

Windows XP is still the dominant operating system for PCs, and many a gaming enthusiast has rejected Vista because XP runs their games much, much better.

The same can be said for Microsoft Office 2007. The world's most popular productivity suite underwent its most significant upgrade in history, but many users greeted the release with a chorus of yawns.

I'm an admitted fan of Microsoft products, but I'm writing this column on a laptop running Windows XP and Office 2002. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Happy, happy laptop.

Though I helped set up a few iMacs running MacOS X 10.4, I haven't tested Leopard, the Mac's 2007 rollout, but I'm hearing the same yawns that greeted Windows Vista.

Another tech thud: Microsoft's Zune music-video player and its companion Zune Marketplace. Microsoft's usual ineptitude with new products was on ample display. Apple's iPod and iTunes' place in the portable music sphere remains secure. Better luck next year, Microsoft.

There was a big surprise in the video game world. While Sony's Play Station 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 were duking it out for game-console supremacy, Nintendo's Wii came along to steal their thunder, with its game controller you can swing like a tennis racket.

It turns out that video gamers are thrilled to get off their couches and move around a bit. Props to Nintendo!

There have been quiet successes. For instance, microprocessors utilizing dual core technology slipped into common usage with nary a hiccup. Both Intel and AMD have produced astounding products.

Our tech world may have had a few thuds this year, but the dominant sound was a resounding purr.

And that may be the actual story of 2007. Technology is so good, it's boring. Surprise me. Please.

E-mail Calivin Ross at calross@napanet.net.