Computer technology continued to develop at breakneck speed, with faster processors powering ever more sophisticated machines. Portable “laptops” enabled users to work on board a train or aircraft, while more and more people now work from home, cutting out that journey to the office altogether. After several years in the doldrums, Apple restored its fortunes with the trendy, brightly-coloured iMac and iBook, banishing, temporarily at least, the standard grey box to the past