Forecasting the Next 50 Years in Information Technology

Varun Grover University of South Carolina Predicting the information technology future? Nah! The great ones couldn't do it. How can we? Thomas Watson, the IBM chairman, said about 50 years ago that "there is a world market for maybe five computers." Ken OIson, founder of DEC couldn't find any "reason anyone would want a computer in their home" in 1977. And even Bill Gates thought in 1981, "640K ought to be enough for anybody." They were all dead wrong!