Computer Predictions From The Past

(from pannikos.com)

Before many of us were born, the thought of owning a personal computer was inconceivable. With time, as computers were made more compact thanks to evolving technologies, this inconceivable thought became reality.We will now take a look back on these not so distant times and read what people had to say about the future of computers and see how wrong they were about their predicitions.

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

"While a calculator on the ENIAC is equipped with 10000 vacuum tubes and weighs 30 tons, computers of the future may have only 1000 vacuum tubes and weigh only 1.5 tons."
Popular mechanics, 1949

"I have travelled 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."
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, commenting on the microchip, 1968

"There is no reason why anyone would want a computer in the home."
Ken Olson, Present, Chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, 1977

"640K should be enough for anybody."
Bill Gates, 1981