Thursday, March 31, 2011

Some fun quotes about the future of computers

I came across these, and found them amusing:

Hella Quotes
RE: Computers

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons." --Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.' --Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

"I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year." -The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957

"But what ... is it good for?" -Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.

"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." -Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977

"640K ought to be enough for anybody." -Bill Gates, 1981

What a difference hindsight can make. Though I'm sure some of those quotes were accurate in the context of the times in which they were spoken.
     

2 comments:

Bob said...

Back in 1989, I heard an NPR reporter describe 386-based systems as "All the computer any business will ever need, and for under $10,000.00!"

Chas said...

Under $10,000.00? Amazing.

I bought my first 386 computer 2nd hand, for about $20.00. Not long after that, I began to find them for free, abandoned on sidewalks. That was some time in the 90's. How quickly things change!