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Re: Apple II: Second Best Tech Product of All Time!
In <eva7il$595$1@merope.saaf.se> Paul Schlyter wrote:
> In article <20070408181642119+1200@News.Individual.NET>,
>
> Another exaggreation.... does the guy who wrote that have the
> faintest idea of what "forever" actually means? Does he really
> believe that when the Sun has gone nova and mankind has been extinct
> for millions of years, that it then really matters whether Mosaic or
> Netscape "changed our lives" in our brief moment of time?
>
> And even before mankind becomes extinct, does he really believe that
> nothing will happen which will make Netscape appear quite
> insignificant? Sort of how we today consider Morse Code quite
> insignificant, even though it changed the lives of people back in the
> days of "The Victorian Internet" (i.e. the worldwide telegraph
> network, which btw was the first worldwide network ever created by
> mankind - it even predated radio) some 150 years ago....
I think the telegraph (not Morse code) is an excellent example of
something that did change technology and our lives forever. It had a
huge impact on people all around the world (including those who never
used, saw, or even heard of its existence). Even though it's now long
since obsolete it changed human history radically and you can't go back
and undo that change, so it is 'forever'. It also led directly to the
networks we use today (telephone, then Internet).
Navigator on the other hand... It had an impact on _our_ lives since it
was the first really popular web browser and set the standard that
others copied, but the WWW already existed and if Navigator hadn't
arrived another browser would have taken its place.
"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 memo, 1876
--
* Roger Johnstone, Invercargill, New Zealand -> http://roger.geek.nz
* PS/2 Mouse Adapter for vintage Apple II or Mac
* SCART RGB video cable for Apple IIGS