The most important invention in your lifetime is…

I was born in 1977. That means computers were everywhere, you just couldn’t see them. Most computers were taller than you were and twice or three times as wide. If you had to have a computer at your desk, it was a “dumb terminal.” That’s a monitor, keyboard, and mouse that seemed independent on your end, but were actually mirroring the server…. and even that came later. At first, you had to physically be at the machine to use it, because there was no networking.

The 80s were a true cultural revolution, because IBM and Apple both sold millions of units that were as powerful as the computers that took up an entire room, but could fit on your desk. I just don’t think that people thought of getting a computer as a “cultural revolution.”

We went from it being a big deal to get a computer at all to everyone being connected to the Internet in about 40 years.

We have gained and lost much in those adjustments, but it is not an understatement to say that the personal computer changed the world.

I didn’t choose the geek life. The geek life chose me.