But this chapter also proves that a good author can write a useful analysis even if the facts change while he's writing it. The last three lines of page 199 have probably been added as the very last thing before the book went to press. A half-dead link is something in between a traditional passive reference and a hyperlink. But it is not completely inactive either, since the system will fetch the target document eventually, asynchronously and usually after some intervening actions, maybe within minutes, maybe the next day. Chapter 13 deals with the future.
Most predictions seem pretty straightforward.
For example, electronic payments are still in early experimental stages, but it is reasonable to expect working payment systems within five years. Another prediction is that hypertext will be integrated with other applications. Before 1995 there was not much evidence of that, but in the year since the book's publication a lot has happened to support the prediction. The Web is replacing the built-in help systems of many programs. Conversely, programs are being run within Web browsers, so that hypertext navigation takes the place of entering commands or command arguments.