Predictions about the Future

Yogi Berra is reputed to have said that it is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future. yes, this is the time of year that we do just that, especially where this is the end of a decade - a most remarkable decade.

Ten years ago, the iMac had 64 mg of RAM and a 10 gig memory. Most people did not have broadband internet. Smartphones with built-in cameras had not yet been invented.

In ten years time, powerful personal computers will be unnecessary because computing will be done in the cloud. Data will be freely available in many forms. Probably raw data with some context built into it. Data that people will be able to analyze and make their own conclusions. Analysts and investors will be a good example, where they will have the use of tools like XBRL which allow customized data to be transpoorted across platforms and analyzed without the benefit of standard reports like balance sheets and income statements. It will be a new era in ten years time.

At least that's the way it looks now. But then, Yogi Berra had a point.

For some more predictions and ruminations see this article.