Today is a great time in the computer industry.
The tunnel, of course, is the incredibly rapid rate of change in the industry. While the glass house made the system inaccessible to mere mortals, it also had the positive effect of protecting the system. Back then, buying a software package was a big affair. Software packages simply weren't available unless long-term service was purchased, and some operations just couldn't be done without the vendor's assistance, so service contracts were always purchased. Machines are hundreds of times more powerful for their size, and prices have dropped significantly.