[ Thanks to Kelly
McNeill for this link. ]
“In the first era of personal computing, the user had virtually
no electronic contact with the outside world. Aside from dialing up
a BBS, the only way to acquire new software was to buy it at a
computer store. The second era of personal computing could be
defined as the connected world of the Internet or more specifically
e-mail and the Web.”
“We’re right on the cusp of a third era, in which every PC on
the network is a continually connected node – making all sorts of
new applications possible. Imagine this billion node, continually
connected network extending beyond the PC form factor to Palm
Pilots, cell phones, and incorporating much higher bandwidth. What
you get is a communication medium more powerful than any that has
ever existed.”
“Many high profile companies are poised to get a piece of this
new paradigm…”