The wild ride slows down THE 1990s have transformed Silicon Valley from a regional success story to a global phenomenon.
Semiconductors are the brains of our machines, from computers to coffee pots.
The Internet is altering the way we communicate, work and shop. It's been a hell of a ride. Sales of the region's largest companies have more than doubled in the last five years, while profits have soared almost five-fold. The region is forever spawning new firms, each generation maturing faster than the last. The resulting explosion of wealth is among the great tales of the 20th century.