Here's an interesting New York Times article about new research on incandescent bulbs.
"For lighting researchers involved in trying to save the incandescent bulb, the goal is to come up with one that matches the energy savings of fluorescent bulbs while keeping the qualities that many consumers seem to like in incandescents, like the color of the light and the ease of using them with dimmers."
Incandescent Bulbs Return to the Cutting Edge