Original artwork, not a still
There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The line is the favourite exhibit in the 'worst tech predictions' list, a warning that the people who build the old machines may not see the next one coming. In context, though, Olsen was dismissing the idea of a computer ruling a smart home, a prediction that has fared rather better. Its afterlife as a gag about the PC says more about how quotations get shortened than about Olsen.
Context reviewed
In context
May contain spoilersShow the scene
Ken Olsen, co-founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, made the remark in a talk to the World Future Society in Boston in 1977, according to Snopes. It appeared in print a few years later and was often cited in the 1980s as proof that the minicomputer establishment missed the personal computer. Olsen later admitted making the comment but said it was taken out of context: he was talking about a central computer that would run every aspect of a household, not a personal computer. He gave the example of a home machine logging a midnight raid on the refrigerator and spoiling its meal plans.
Sources (3)
- Snopes: Ken Olsen quoteArticle bodyReference checked
- Wikipedia: Ken OlsenQuote sectionReference checked
- ADS-L: Kenneth Olsen Computer QuoteThreadReference checked
Context reviewed