Take those predictions, forecasts, and prognostications with so many grains of salt. They have a notorious track record for being completely wrong, even when made by the leading experts in their fields. In preparing for my autumn lecture series, I came across the following nuggets and thought I?d share them with you. There are some real howlers.
1876 ?This ?telephone? has too many shortcomings to
be seriously considered as a means of communication.?
?Western Union internal memo.
1895 ?Heavier than air flying machines are impossible.?
?Lord Kelvin, president of the Royal Society.
1927 ?Who the hell wants to hear actors talk??
?H.M. Warner, founder of Warner Brothers.
1943 ?I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.?
?Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM.
1962 ?We don?t like their sound, and guitar music
is on the way out.?
?Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.
1981 ?640 kilobytes of memory ought to be enough for anybody.?
?Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft.