> > "Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."> >> > -- Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of> > science, 1949> >> > -----------------------> >> > "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."> >> > -- Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943> >> > -----------------------> >> > "I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked> > with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is> > a fad that won't last out the year."> >> > -- The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall,> > 1957> >> > -----------------------> >> > "But what ... is it good for?"> >> > -- Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM,> > 1968, commenting on the microchip.> >> > -----------------------> >> > "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."> >> > -- Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital> > Equipment Corp., 1977> >> > -----------------------> >> > "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.> >> > -----------------------> >> > "The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who> > would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?"> >> > -- David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for> > investment in the radio in the 1920s.> >> > -----------------------> >> > "The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn> > better than a 'C,' the idea must be feasible."> >> > -- A Yale University management professor in response to Fred> > Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service.> > (Smith went on to found Federal Express Corp.)> >> > -----------------------> >> > "Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?"> >> > -- H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927.> >> > -----------------------> >> > "I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and> > not Gary Cooper."> >> > -- Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in> > "Gone With The Wind."> >> > -----------------------> >> > "A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports> > say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like> > you make."> >> > -- Response to Debbi Fields' idea of starting Mrs. Fields'> > Cookies.> >> > -----------------------> >> > "We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out."> >> > -- Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.> >> > -----------------------> >> > "Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible."> >> > -- Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.> >> > -----------------------> >> > "If I had thought about it, I wouldn't have done the experiment.> > The literature was full of examples that said you can't do this."> >> > -- Spencer Silver on the work that led to the unique adhesives> > for 3-M "Post-It" Notepads.> >> > -----------------------> >> > "So we went to Atari and said, 'Hey, we've got this amazing thing,> > even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about> > funding us? Or we' ll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay> > our salary, we'll come work for you.' And they said, 'No.' So> > then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, 'Hey, we don't> > need you. You haven't got through college yet.'"> >> > -- Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs on attempts to get> > Atari and H-P interested in his and Steve Wozniak's> > personal computer.> >> > -----------------------> >> > "Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and> > reaction and the need to have something better than a vacuum> > against which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge> > ladled out daily in high schools."> >> > -- 1921 New York Times editorial about Robert Goddard's> > revolutionary rocket work.> >> > -----------------------> >> > "You want to have consistent and uniform muscle development across> > all of your muscles? It can't be done. It's just a fact of life.> > You just have to accept inconsistent muscle development as an> > unalterable condition of weight training."> >> > -- Response to Arthur Jones, who solved the "unsolvable"> > problem by inventing Nautilus.> >> > -----------------------> >> > "Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil?> > You're crazy."> >> > -- Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project> > to drill for oil in 1859.> >> > -----------------------> >> > "Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau."> >> > -- Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University,> > 1929.> >> > -----------------------> >> > "Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value."> >> > -- Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole> > Superieure de Guerre.> >> > -----------------------> >> > "Everything that can be invented has been invented."> >> > -- Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents,> > 1899.> >> > -----------------------> >> > "Louis Pasteur's theory of germs is ridiculous fiction".> >> > -- Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872> >> > -----------------------> >> > "The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from> > the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon".> >> > -- Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon-> > Extraordinary to Queen Victoria 1873.> >> > -----------------------> >> > "640K ought to be enough for anybody."> >> > -- Bill Gates, 1981