You have to wonder how well Packard Bell will hold on among savvier home buyers. AST is barely visible these days. Acer is scaling back to first-time home buyers at a time when we're running short of them. But I'm afraid we're still going to see more talk than action in 1999. Windows remains too complex and unstable, and PCs are still bulky and have too many cables.
Fast connections take off.
Cable modem, DSL, satellite, and maybe ISDN are the way to go for fast data at home or in a business. Right now a cable modem looks like the best bet for speed, price, and market savvy. Wireless networking has gotten better in a hurry, too. AC-line wiring is a passable alternative. All of these can be used for small-business networking as well.