By the year 2008...

[Pirate Bill]

Not every family has its private computer. Many families reserve time on a city or regional computer to serve their needs. The machine tallies up its own services and submits a bill, just as it does with other utilities.

Actually, this is true. Not every family has a PC. But pretty much anyone can get access to a computer at the library for free, or at a cybercafe for a small fee.

To shop, you simply press the numbered code of a giant shopping center. You press another combination to zero in on the department and the merchandise in which you are interested. When you see what you want, you press a number that signifies “buy,” and the household computer takes over, places the order, notifies the store of the home address and subtracts the purchase price from your bank balance. Much of the family shopping is done this way.

This too is true. It's called the internet.

Instead of typing in a numbered code for the giant shopping center we type a name and let DNS look up the numbered code for us. And instead of a number that signifies "buy" we actually have a "buy" button. The only difference is that our household computer doesn't "take over" and complete the transaction. The remote server does. Minor details but the principle of the prediction is all there.