--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most of the people who had PCs did not…" description: "\"Most of the people who had PCs did not have modems and could not use those PCs as communicating devices. They really were using them for spreadsheets o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bb/steve-case-8001_devices_most-of-the-people-who-had-pcs-did-not-h_352706.png" --- # Most of the people who had PCs did not have modems and… ![“Most of the people who had PCs did not have modems and could not use those PCs as communicating devices. They really were using them for spreadsheets or word processing or storing recipes or playing games or what have you.” quote by Steve Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bb/steve-case-8001_devices_most-of-the-people-who-had-pcs-did-not-h_352706.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bb/steve-case-8001_devices_most-of-the-people-who-had-pcs-did-not-h_352706.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bb/steve-case-8001_devices_most-of-the-people-who-had-pcs-did-not-h_352706.png) > “Most of the people who had PCs did not have modems and could not use those PCs as communicating devices. They really were using them for spreadsheets or word processing or storing recipes or playing games or what have you.” [Steve Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-case/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early PCs were mainly used for offline tasks because most users lacked internet access. **In simple terms:** PCs were used for non‑communication tasks. Key Takeaway Recognize the original purpose of technology. Themes technology usage history Mood nostalgic reflective Type historical observational When to use this quote - business - education - home - gaming Key Concepts digital divide offline computing Questions to Reflect On - How would early PC use differ with internet? - What tasks remain offline today? A Different Perspective Limited by lack of infrastructure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Devices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devices/) [Did Modems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-modems-3254046/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Modems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modems-3254049/) [Modems Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modems-use-3254045/) [Pcs Communicating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pcs-communicating-3254048/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Pcs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-pcs-3254047/) [Playing games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-games/) [Processing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/processing/) [Recipes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recipes/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) ## Related quotes > [Comcast rents modems directly to consumers, thereby competing directly with companies like Zoom. It has every reason to make Zoom modems more expensive or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/comcast-rents-modems-directly-to-consumers-thereby-competing-directly/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [I'm not gonna lie. I used to be in AOL chat rooms a lot causing trouble back when you had dial-up modems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-hibbert/i-m-not-gonna-lie-i-used-to-be-in-aol-chat-rooms-a-lot-causing/) [Roy Hibbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-hibbert/) > [Refuse to allow yourself to become a vegetable that simply absorbs information, pre-packaged, pre-ideologized , because no message.. is anything but an ideological package…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/refuse-to-allow-yourself-to-become-a-vegetable-that-simply-absorbs/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [Historically, education has been about batch processing: standardize everything against the average, rank kids, sort them to see who gets more and who really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/historically-education-has-been-about-batch-processing-standardize/) [L. Todd Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/) > [Learning, without any opportunities to share what we've learned, is a little like cooking for ourselves; we do it, but we probably won't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/learning-without-any-opportunities-to-share-what-we-ve-learned-is-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Technology is like water; it wants to find its level. So if you hook up your computer to a billion other computers, it just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andreessen/technology-is-like-water-it-wants-to-find-its-level-so-if-you-hook-up/) [Marc Andreessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andreessen/) > [Beating a legend is a very good feeling, but internally I was processing the realization that I could compete with anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-morrison/beating-a-legend-is-a-very-good-feeling-but-internally-i-was/) [Tommy Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-morrison/) > [While it is true that we must seek value added industries like food processing plants and call center operations, we must do what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-autry/while-it-is-true-that-we-must-seek-value-added-industries-like-food/) [Alan Autry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-autry/) > [ My four-year-old daughter regularly requests reading Book One \[the March\] at bedtime; the methods of reading, delivering, and processing the book's content vary according… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-powell/my-four-year-old-daughter-regularly-requests-reading-book-one-the/) [Nate Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-powell/) > [Yes, sir, I was in the processing room watching them actually process the film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-zapruder/yes-sir-i-was-in-the-processing-room-watching-them-actually-process/) [Abraham Zapruder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-zapruder/) > [Just think of the opportunities we can unlock by making education as addictive as a video game. This type of experiential, addictive learning improves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/just-think-of-the-opportunities-we-can-unlock-by-making-education-as/) [Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/) > [I was processing a lot of different things and kind of looking over a lot of things and rethinking my childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-vaughn/i-was-processing-a-lot-of-different-things-and-kind-of-looking-over-a/) [Baron Vaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-vaughn/) > [If you really want to be a good archaeologist, you have to understand ancient DNA; you have to understand chemical analysis to figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-parcak/if-you-really-want-to-be-a-good-archaeologist-you-have-to-understand/) [Sarah Parcak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-parcak/) > [If you know that most processing is below the level of awareness, you learn the value of sleep. You're brain is working on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/if-you-know-that-most-processing-is-below-the-level-of-awareness-you/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [We have to start processing what we're really made of in America. American character is not dead. American integrity and honesty are not dead.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-fox/we-have-to-start-processing-what-we-re-really-made-of-in-america/) [Josh Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-fox/) ## More by Steve Case > [I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-case/i-was-born-and-raised-in-honolulu-hawaii/) [Steve Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-case/) > [It's silly for me to raise expectations too much, but I think I'm right on the basic trend, which is shifting power to consumers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-case/it-s-silly-for-me-to-raise-expectations-too-much-but-i-think-i-m/) [Steve Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-case/) > [There are no road signs to help navigate. And, in fact, no one has yet determined which side of the road we're supposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-case/there-are-no-road-signs-to-help-navigate-and-in-fact-no-one-has-yet/) [Steve Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-case/) > [We don't want to turn the TV into a computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-case/we-don-t-want-to-turn-the-tv-into-a-computer/) [Steve Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-case/) > [“Acceptance isn’t forgetting, and it isn’t ignoring that that person was really fucking special to you. 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Perseverance is no guarantee you’ll succeed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-case/i-want-to-find-people-who-have-had-to-work-hard-and-who-have-learned/) [Steve Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-case/) > [I think the more you have a generalist perspective, I think sometimes the more you can kind of see through the forest and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-case/i-think-the-more-you-have-a-generalist-perspective-i-think-sometimes/) [Steve Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-case/) > [You're not just trying to do something marginally, incrementally better. You're doing something that is a fundamental paradigm shift, that will have exponential impact.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-case/you-re-not-just-trying-to-do-something-marginally-incrementally/) [Steve Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-case/) > [Steve Jobs always believed that you didn't want to do focus groups or research and ask people what they wanted. 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It's the fact that through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-case/the-real-magic-in-national-geographic-isn-t-how-much-money-they-have/) [Steve Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-case/) > [In the entrepreneurial world, when you launch a company, you have a particular idea, a particular product, a particular service, almost always you pivot,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-case/in-the-entrepreneurial-world-when-you-launch-a-company-you-have-a/) [Steve Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-case/) > [But the idea that some day people would want to be able to interact and get stock quotes and talk with other people or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-case/but-the-idea-that-some-day-people-would-want-to-be-able-to-interact/) [Steve Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-case/) [Explore all 85 Steve Case quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-case/) ## More Devices quotes > [The market may never coalesce around one basic design, or even around two or three dominant devices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-market-may-never-coalesce-around-one-basic-design-or-even-around/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Televisions are devices with screens that things appear on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/televisions-are-devices-with-screens-that-things-appear-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [If, as I anticipate, a wide array of personal, portable information/communication devices becomes increasingly important and widespread for information-intensive users, it will be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-as-i-anticipate-a-wide-array-of-personal-portable-information/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [I would warn against holsters with devices for quick-draw. Devices always fail when you need them most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/i-would-warn-against-holsters-with-devices-for-quick-draw-devices/) [William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/) > [As we go through this transition where a lot more people will be reading on devices, nobody is paying enough attention to make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/as-we-go-through-this-transition-where-a-lot-more-people-will-be/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [In early drafts, one of the trickiest things for me to do was to realize that the techniques and devices that make readable and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-rooney/in-early-drafts-one-of-the-trickiest-things-for-me-to-do-was-to/) [Kathleen Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-rooney/) > [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [Truth is, people like buying things for $0.99 and $1.99 for their digital devices. We know that from iTunes. We know that from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lee/truth-is-people-like-buying-things-for-0-99-and-1-99-for-their/) [Jennifer Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lee/) > [I think we're probably only about halfway through the number of revelations. I'm pretty certain there will be quite detailed stuff on other uses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-a-watson/i-think-we-re-probably-only-about-halfway-through-the-number-of/) [Tom A. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-a-watson/) > [The documentary style is an incredibly flexible and useful one. It's a wonderful tool for establishing the credibility of the version of things that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gohlke/the-documentary-style-is-an-incredibly-flexible-and-useful-one-it-s-a/) [Frank Gohlke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gohlke/) > [The sense of tragedy - according to Aristotle - comes, ironically enough, not from the protagonist's weak points but from his good qualities. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-sense-of-tragedy-according-to-aristotle-comes-ironically-enough/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [All the problems of the world could be settled easily if men were only willing to think. The trouble is that men very often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-j-watson/all-the-problems-of-the-world-could-be-settled-easily-if-men-were/) [Thomas J. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-j-watson/) > [Prayer is not a convenient device for imposing our will upon God, or bending his will to ours, but the prescribed way of subordinating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/prayer-is-not-a-convenient-device-for-imposing-our-will-upon-god-or/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [The Hope, Love & Healing necklace is the perfect embodiment of what we are trying to bring to Haiti through safe and sustainable housing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/the-hope-love-healing-necklace-is-the-perfect-embodiment-of-what-we/) [Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/) > [Reading is sometimes an ingenious device for avoiding thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-helps/reading-is-sometimes-an-ingenious-device-for-avoiding-thought/) [Arthur Helps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-helps/) [Browse all 1,075 Devices quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devices/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Most of the people who had PCs did not have modems and could not use those PCs as communicating devices. 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