In 1999, Bill Gates wrote a book titled "Business @ the Speed of Thought."
In the book, Gates made 15 bold predictions that at the time might have sounded outrageous.
But as Markus Kirjonen, a business student, once noted on his blog, Gates' forecasts turned out to be eerily prescient.
Here are the 15 predictions Gates made just about 20 years ago — and how close they've come to being true.
Eugene Kim and Biz Carson contributed to earlier versions of this slideshow.
SEE ALSO: 19 crazy facts about Bill Gates' $125 million mansion
No. 1: Price-comparison sites.
Gates' prediction: "Automated price comparison services will be developed, allowing people to see prices across multiple websites, making it effortless to find the cheapest product for all industries."
What we see now: You can easily search for a product on Google or Amazon and get different prices. Sites like Kayak and Expedia help people find the cheapest price for a flight, while Google Shopping and Microsoft's own Bing Shopping help find bargains for everything else.
No. 2: Mobile devices.
Gates' prediction: "People will carry around small devices that allow them to constantly stay in touch and do electronic business from wherever they are. They will be able to check the news, see flights they have booked, get information from financial markets, and do just about anything else on these devices."
What we see now: Smartphones, smartwatches, speakers like the Amazon Echo, and even headsets like the Microsoft HoloLens give users a way to have all of their information on hand at all times.
No. 3: Instant payments and financing online, and better healthcare through the web.
Gates' prediction: "People will pay their bills, take care of their finances, and communicate with their doctors over the internet."
What we see now: Tech hasn't been able to change healthcare the way Uber changed transportation, but sites like ZocDoc aim to make finding a doctor and scheduling easier. Startups like One Medical and Forward are trying to change what the doctor's office is like by offering monthly memberships for online and data-driven healthcare. Plus, big HMOs like Kaiser Permanente now offer video-chat medical consultations via smartphone.
You can also now borrow money online through sites like Lending Club and easily make payments through sites and apps like PayPal and Venmo.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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