TIL that IBM once predicted a 5 MB hard drive would be enough for everyone, and I finally get why old predictions fail

Christopher Coleman · 2026-10-15T10:05:03.963961+00:00

I used to roll my eyes at those old bad tech takes, but then I saw a 1981 quote from a guy at IBM saying 5 megabytes was plenty for any personal computer. Now when I read predictions about AI or VR, I just think about that 5 MB drive and laugh. Does anyone have a favorite old prediction that aged like milk?

🐿️Pinecone Attack

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TIL that IBM once predicted a 5 MB hard drive would be enough for everyone, and I finally get why old predictions fail | Bad Tech Predictions - Pinecone Attack