The offset press and the mimeograph were both document duplication technologies that had long, successful, broad usage. Both died of lack of operators, not lack of machines to operate.<p>The desktop computer has been surpassed by other less flexible data terminals as those older printing technologies were. Similarly, there will be people for whom the fit of capabilities (and lack of need for new investment) will keep the older technologies extant if not vibrant for a long time past their actual economic death.<p>We now live in the world that Sun wanted: a small market for massively expensive "worksations", more market for bigger "servers" with no UI; and commodity, disposable, mostly read only terminals for the masses.