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Apple’s Newton

This was the first handheld computing device, which has greatly influenced current products, such as the highly successful Palm, and all other PDA’s, HPC’s (Handheld PC’s), pen computing tablet’s, etc. These kind of devices are here to stay.

The Personal Satellite Dish

This product has become a commodity item also, and its application will expand well beyond cable programming in the near future.

The Last 25 Years

A CEO from a multi-billion dollar electronics distribution company was asked to submit responses to four questions to a weekly electronics publication. As happens quite often, the assignment was passed down through the levels of the marketing department until it reached a marketing communications person, and a good friend of mine. He asked me to write my ideas, which was submitted back up the chain. Their final version contained 75% of what I wrote. Here are my answers.

What are the five most influential electronic products of the last 25 years?

My choices are influenced by what has most impacted the consumer market.

The Compact Disc and CD Players

Because the disc by itself is not electronic, I have also included the disc player. This has changed tremendously the way the consumer market stores data, audio and video files. Although very important products in the last 25 years, the age of the floppy disk, cassette and VHS tape are over. With advancing formats like recordable DVD, the compact disc is ever increasing it’s storage capacity and range of applications.

The Wireless Phone

The wireless phone may be looked at as just a mobile version of the 125 year old telephone, but the mobile part is the key. Having become so widely used, all other devices are being designed to be mobile also. This is creating whole new services for mobile software applications, mobile Internet access, and mobile business opportunities.

Ethernet Networking Technology

Other networking technologies existed before Ethernet, but Ethernet made networking affordable, widespread, and became the low-cost standard. Ethernet is moving from the business or home LAN (Local Area Network) to the WAN (Wide Area Network) or the enterprise network. This is happening on both copper and fiber optic cabling. Most networking companies receive a significant percentage of their revenues from Ethernet products. No other networking product will replace Ethernet for the next five years or longer.


	Last 25 Years

For the menu above:

What are the top BREAKTHROUGH technologies?

What are the top technologies for FUTURE GROWTH?

Who were the MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE?

Laser and Ink Jet Printing

Hewlett-Packard and other manufacturers made these products so affordable that they became standard equipment in homes and small businesses.