Introduction

Twenty years ago, when the first personal computers were being sold, could anyone have accurately predicted what they would be used for at the turn of the century? Could anyone have guessed that Microsoft would become as omnipresent a force in the computer industry as IBM was at that time? Was there any indication to predict the rise of open-source software and its contention against Microsoft for market share? Could anyone have imagined that in 2001, IBM would be funding Linux development, seemingly facing off against Microsoft itself?

Even today, it's not necessarily any easier to tell what the picture is like, thanks to the fast pace of technology development. Determining which products and which companies are the ones that will ...

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