In this paper we examine the development of the micro-computer market in the early 1980's. CP/M, a widely adopted operating system, was orphaned by the user and development communities. A new operating system, DOS, and a new hardware platform, the IBM PC, became the prediminant industry...

In this paper we develop a model with (1) differentiated consumers, (2) endogenous adoption times, (3) technical uncertainty, and (4) alternative technologies sponsored by competing vendors. We identify conditions under which orphaning arises endogenously in a framework of dynamic competition....

May 27, 1997

By what process does technical change in information technology (IT) increase economic welfare? How does this process result in increases in welfare at different rates in different countries and regions? This paper considers existing literature on measuring the economic benefits from information...

This Economic Letter summarizes research finding that the use of basic internet technology is widely dispersed among both urban and rural locations. Moreover, although advanced internet technology was adopted most rapidly in large urban areas, the research finds that much (but not all) of the...