Neil Gershenfeld
"When Things Start to Think"
1999

p.63
Thomas Watson, the chairman of IBM, observed in 1943 that "I think there is
a world market for maybe five computers."  In 1997 there were 80 million
personal computers sold.  To understand his impressive lack of vision,
remember that early computers were

* large machines
* housed in specialized rooms
* used by skilled operators
* for fixed industrial operations
* with a limited market

From there it was too hard to conceive of a computer that could fit on a
desk without crushing it, much less on a lap.  Unseen beyond that horizon
in packaging lay the revolutionary implications of personalization.

Now consider machine tools.  These are the large mills and lathes and
drills that are used in factories for fabrication.  For the ordinary
person, they are about as exciting as mainframe computers.  In fact, they
really are quite similar.  Machine tools are

* large machines
* housed in specialized rooms
* used by skilled operators
* for fixed industrial operations
* with a limited market

Sound familiar?  With the benefit of hindsight, plus a peek into the
laboratory to see what's coming, this time around we can do better than
Thomas Watson and recognize the impending arrival of the Personal
Fabricator.

p. 205
...every group now has an oscilloscope.... basic computer literacy is
quickly coming to include machining, and circuit design, and
micro-controller programming.