"This telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us" -Western Union internal memo, 1876


"Well, this is an absolutely fascinating device but what could I do with it? (You could talk to people in other cities across the United States) Why would I want to do that? I don't know any people in other cities." - Mayor of New York City quizzing Alexander Graham Bell, 1877


"Everything that can be invented has been invented." - Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Pantents, 1899


"The wireless music box has no imagineable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?" - David Sarnoff's associates, rejecting a pitch to invest in radio, 1920s


"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" Harry M. Warner, Warner Bros., 1927


"Television will never be a serious competitor for radio because people must sit and keep their eyes glued on a screen; the average American family hasn't time for it." -New York Times article, 1939


"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." Thomas Watson, Chairman, IBM, 1943


"There is no reason for any individuals to have a computer in the home." - Ken Olsen, Chairman, Digital Equipment Corp., 1977


"There will be fewer than 900,000 cellphone subscribers in America in 2000." -AT&T internal memo upon cellphone invention, 1984


"The internet will collapse in 1996." -Bob Metcalf, Ethernet inventor and 3Com founder, 1995.


And here's two more quotes I heard (with my very own ears) from two guys who, individually, own two of the 6 or 7 major companies in the jiz biz. I'll try and quote as best as I remember...so it's kind of a semi-quote. But you'll get their drift.


"DVD's a loser-- a passing phase. It's no different than CD-ROM. It will be gone in a couple of years." -XXX, told to me on the CES Convention floor, 1999


"All these small companies starting up, they don't matter, they'll all be out of business in two years tops. -XXX, said to me and others in front of his building, 1998-99


Ok. That's it. No commentary. Draw your own conclusions.




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