# Maybe There Really Will Only Be Five Computers...

Type: linked post (commentary on an external article)
Article: https://battellemedia.com/archives/2011/09/maybe_there_really_will_only_be_five_computers
URL: https://www.jonathant.com/blog/maybe-there-really-will-only-be-five-computers/
Published: 2011-09-01
Updated: 2026-08-09
Author: Jonathan Tarud

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Thomas J. Watson in 1943:

> I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.

John Battelle 2011:

> Right now, I’d wager that the handful of brands leading the charge to win in this market might be Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, and….IBM. About five or so. Maybe Watson will be proven right, even if he never was wrong in the first place.

Things change really fast in this industry.

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Source: https://battellemedia.com/archives/2011/09/maybe_there_really_will_only_be_five_computers