12 Predictions About The Future Of Tech That Steve Jobs Made

Back in 1976, when Steve co-founded Apple with his friends, he started a micro-computing revolution. Then his vision continued to become reality with all the music distribution, tablets, phones, apps,... everything that we enjoy today.

Aside from leading revolutionary products, he was also famous for his future prediction.

Now looking back on the predictions of Steve, we can say that many have become real while some haven't. Here is the list of 10 accurate ones and 2 misfires.

Home computers, just for fun

Steve-Jobs-predictions-PC — 8% of US household had a PC back in 1984. that number had grown to 79% in 2015.

Back in 1985, Steve told Playboy magazine that the personal computers would find their way into our homes. Back then, computers were mostly used by schools, companies, and a few who ran their businesses from homes.

8% of US households had a PC back in 1984. But that number had grown to 79% in 2015.

So just as Steve said, PC has become the recreation source for lots of people, whether it is to play games or to message friends.

Via the computer, we will be connected

5b7327b880eb351b008b5148 960 720 — Steve also explained the reason to have a PC at home would be to connect with a network of communication.

In that same interview with Playboy, Steve also explained the reason to have a PC at home would be to connect with a network of communication. This prediction came 4 years before the pioneering work of Tim Berners-Lee which later on became the World Wide Web.

A mouse will help speed all things up, like cutting and pasting

Steve-Jobs-predictions-mouse — So when Steve introduced the mouse - he could make all those complicated commands become a visually simple task

Before the release of Lisa computer back in 1983, most PC needed instructions to be typed on the keyboard laboriously. So when Steve introduced the mouse - he could make all those complicated commands become a visually simple task, which made the PC easy-to-use.

35 years later, we all love using the mouse and we even take it for granted in the world of computing. With touch-screen technology, the mouse became a little bit old-fashioned.

Web dial tone will be everywhere

Steve-Jobs-predictions-dial-up-internet — The dial-up internet may already be a thing of the past, but Steve was right about the Web's popularity.

In an interview with Wired way back in 1996, Job said that the web will become a very popular platform for consumers around the world.

The dial-up internet may already be a thing of the past, but Steve was right about the Web's popularity.

The number of 2019 April shows that there are more than 4.4 billion internet users across the globe. That is 81% population of the developed countries and 56% of the whole world.

Someone will manage the storage for you

Steve-Jobs-predictions-data-storage — Steve talked about providing clients with a method for dispensing their storage.

Way before we started to use videos, data, and photos on Google Drive, Apple Cloud, Steve talked about providing clients with a method for dispensing their storage.

In the 1996 interview with Wired, Steve said:

A great computer is put in a book

Steve-Jobs-predictions — He mentioned a great computer in a book form factor.

Back in the 80s, most PC were heavy boxes, big and located in workshops and laboratories.

But during his speech at a Design Conference, Steve revealed his vision for something much more portable. What he said was an amazing PC in a book that can be carried around and that takes only five minutes to learn.

Then in another interview with Newsweek's Access, he also stated that:

As of this year, what Steve said sounds like a Kindle, a smartphone, or a tablet that we have in our pocket.

A little person in the device that anticipates what the consumer wants

Steve-Jobs-predictions-virtual-assistance — 25 years after, we have Siri and Alexa that are the digital helpers to many people.

Also in that interview with Newsweek, Steve described agents computers which store information, learn our interests, anticipate our needs, and interact with us. Steve called it a little friend.

25 years after, we have Siri and Alexa that are the digital helpers to many people.

People will stop going to stores and buy things over the internet

Steve-Jobs-predictions-e-commerce — Today, many companies do businesses on the web, from those small suppliers to the Amazon giant.

Back in 1995 in a speech, Steve stressed that the strongest impact of the internet would be on commerce. He has foreseen that those small startups would utilize the power of the web to cut distribution cost and compete against big corporations by selling directly to the consumers.

Today, many companies do businesses on the web, from those small suppliers to the Amazon giant.

Steve also said that the cost of missing out on this e-commerce revolution would be huge with Walmart struggling with sales and the rise of Amazon.

The overload of information

Steve-Jobs-predictions-phone-usage — So in 2019, US citizens check their phones about 52 times per day.

Back in 1996, when we were still testing receiving and sending our first emails. In an interview with Wired, Steve already warned us about the information overload that we will encounter down the road.

So in 2019, US citizens check their phones about 52 times per day.

Technology for young kids

Steve-Jobs-predictions-technology-kids — He said in our future, 10 years old children will get one of the devices to play with.

One more prediction of Steve is about the receptiveness of the youth market with new technology, which was reserved for the adults.

He said:

He was right. Because just this year we have the report saying that the average age for US child to get their 1st phone is 10.3 years old.

But there are also some misfires. In 1983, Steve predicted that innovations would be for software rather than hardware.

Steve-Jobs-Predictions-Software — The software market is the playground of 3 big names - Google, Apple, and Microsoft.

Back when Steve had an interview with Playboy in 1983, IBM was the biggest rival of Apple in PC production.

Steve said:

But, in reality, Microsoft has been leading the pack with an iron grip to the extent that there might be an anti-competitive investigation against them.

So today, the software market is the playground of 3 big names - Google, Apple, and Microsoft while the playground of hardware is much more crowded with HP, Dell, Samsung, Acer, and others.

Steve also said the web would not be the life-changing event for many people. And he was wrong.

Steve-Jobs-Predictions-web — Still, he believed that it wouldn't be a life-changing thing for many people.

In 1996 Steve told the Wired that he admitted the web is pretty important. Still, he believed that it wouldn't be a life-changing thing for many people.

But now looking at how most of us rely on the internet every day for most of our needs then this prediction of Steve is very off marked.