The Digital Century

Let's just say it: The personal computer is the greatest invention of the 20th century. No other device has had a greater impact on the way we live, work, and communicate. Coupled with the Web, the PC has changed the economy of the world, created vast fortunes, and done what few thought possible--it's made geeks chic. If the Y2K doomsayers are right, it could also wreak havoc when the big clock hits 2000 a few weeks from now. How did we get here, and where are we headed? Our two-part series will provide some answers.

This month, PC World looks back at the highlights and low points of our digital century--from the birth of the ENIAC in 1945 to the introduction of the World Wide Web in 1989 to the IPO mania of the 1990s--and unearths the real story behind some of the greatest innovations and biggest blunders in computing history. Our editors and writers also name the best products ever made, as well as the biggest flops (anyone remember Microsoft Bob or IBM's PCjr?); a list of buzzwords we'd like to see retired; Web sites we'd take with us to a deserted island (along with a notebook, wireless Net connection, and tons of batteries); and ten ways to tell if you're a Y2K wacko. Next month, we'll peer into the future to see how PCs, the Net, and our lives may look in the next century.

It's been a bumpy ride, and there's no telling what's around the bend. Unless, of course, the world really does go dark on January 1--in which case you may be reading this issue in a bunker, by flashlight.