Computers and the seed business

摘要

Some fortune 1000 companies have used computers since the 1950's, but the technology was expensive. The microprocessor changed all that in an astonishingly short time. Suddenly, computers were available to any company, and programmers began delivering software that exceeded the sophistication of that used on mainframes. Small business hardly noticed. As computer vendors delivered more value (computer processing power doubles every 18 months or so), curiously, small business demanded relatively less. Today, the most capable small computers arc designed for game-playing. The most popular business application, the spreadsheet, was introduced in the early 80's, and it quickly became the accounting tool of choice for small businesses, including most seed companies. It still is. To be sure, small businesses have other valuable uses for computers, mostly in the areas of communication. What computer lacks a word processor? E-mail is indispensable, and many companies have a web site. Although e-commerce is still a dream for most small businesses, many would like to plan for it, if only they knew how. The internet has made it easy to link all of your distant offices together into one network... but why?