If IBM made toasters...
They would want one big toaster where people bring bread
to be submitted for overnight toasting. IBM would claim a worldwide market
for five, maybe six toasters.
If Xerox made toasters...
You could toast one-sided or double-sided. Successive
slices would get lighter and lighter. The toaster would jam your bread
for you.
If Radio Shack made toasters...
The staff would sell you a toaster, but not know anything
about it. Or you could buy all the parts to build your own toaster.
If University of Waterloo made toasters...
They would immediately spin off a company called WatToast.
If ParcPlace made toasters...
Their OO building block system would be called EGGO.
If Oracle made toasters...
They'd claim their toaster was compatible with all brands
and styles of bread, but when you got it home you'd discover the Bagel
Engine was still in development, the Croissant Extension was three years
away, and that indeed the whole appliance was just blowing smoke.
If Sun made toasters...
The toast would burn often, but you could get a really
good cuppa Java.
Does DEC still make toasters?...
They made good toasters in the '80s, didn't they?
If Hewlett-Packard made toasters...
They would market the Reverse Polish Toaster, which takes
in toast and gives you regular bread.
If Tandem made toasters...
You could make toast 24 hours a day, and if a piece got
burned the toaster would automatically toast you a new one.
If Thinking Machines made toasters...
You would be able to toast 64,000 pieces of bread at
the same time.
If Cray made toasters...
They would cost $16 million but would be faster than
any other single-slice toaster in the world.
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