2011 Tech Predictions Revisited

December 27, 2011 — by Per Christensson

Last year around this time, I made my 2011 Tech Predictions. I predicted that 1) Apple would start manufacturing more processors, 2) USB would become a standard interface, 3) downloadable media would become the standard, 4) people would move from books to e-readers, and 5) news of high-resolution monitors would surface.

So, how accurate were my predictions? Well, I didn't miss the mark completely, but I also didn't hit any bulls eyes. Apple did not announce any major new processor manufacturing plans and USB 3.0 was only rolled out in limited qualities. Digital downloads increased, but not at the rate I thought they would, and while e-readers gained popularity (especially with the new Kindles), most people still seem to prefer the old paperback. Finally, there have been rumors of high-res displays, but no official announcements yet.

A lot of my predictions were pretty general, so it's hard to evaluate their accuracy. For example, I expect the migration to digital downloads and e-readers to continue, but it just didn't happen at the rate I thought it would in 2011. So when I make my tech predictions for next year, I will try to be a bit more specific, and perhaps even more accurate. =) Stay tuned.