Ten years ago Bill Gates wrote "The Road Ahead" with predictions for Microsoft and for technology. "This is meant to be a serious book, although ten years from now it may not appear that way," Gates wrote. How much was he right about? Excerpts from the article:
Overzealous Moments
"Your misplaced or stolen camera will send you a message telling exactly where it is, even if it's in a different city."
Try flipping this one around: The things on which you send messages (phones, that is) are also cameras.
"As you pass through an airport gate, for example, your wallet PC will connect to the airport's computers and verify that you have paid for a ticket."
Credit cards and EBay’s Papal service are the closest things to digital money clips.
"You'll be able to jump into a map so you can navigate down a street or through the rooms of a building."
A trippy version of MapQuest.
Prophecies Turned Reality
"You'll watch a program when it's convenient for you, instead of when a broadcaster chooses to air it."
Didn't take long: TiVo launched this technology in 1997.
"If you want to buy a refrigerator, you will look for the electronic bulletin boards containing formal and informal reviews."
There's little you can't find a review of online, thanks to sites like Amazon.com and Shopping.com.
Selling music a new way: "You the consumer won't need compact discs, tapes, or any other kinds of physical apparatus. The music will be stored as bits of information on a server on the highway."
So why did he let old rival Apple essentially create this business? Excellent Read!!
|
