Every industry has its milestones, those occurrences that forever change fate, and the technology realm has more than its share. Could IBM, rather than Microsoft, lead the desktop computing revolution? And what if Apple never bought the startup NeXT with brought Steve Jobs back to the company? Presented here are 15 turning points that shaped the computing world as we know it today, including some that still continue to influence its direction for years to come, contributing editor Neil McAllister explains. Software Development