Sorry! It's that time of year. Couldn't resist a little homage to Charles Dickens and his seasonal classic "A Christmas Carol".

The Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) surveyed its members about technology past, present and future in honor of all of the innovations of the past 25 years.

I love the questions. So much so, I want to share a few of my favorites, the survey results and my own personal answer. Feel free to chime in your answers in comments.

Who are the top ten most influential people from technology over the past 25 years?

No surprises here, 84% picked Bill Gates from Microsoft, 75% picked Steve Jobs from Apple and a little over half picked Michael Dell of Dell Computers.

I would agree with all of the above and add Steve Case from AOL. AOL is less important now. But ten years ago, it provided the training wheels version of the Internet to make it safe, easy to use and provided lots of easy to find content and chat rooms to entice real people to jump online. Without AOL, it would have been many more years before the Internet hit critical mass with the public.

Which were the most influential pieces of technology over the past 25 years?

Topping the list was Internet Explorer, Microsoft Word, Windows 95 and Microsoft Excel and the iPod.

I don't know that I would put them in that order, but I agree with the gravitas of all those innovations. I would also add PowerPoint, the Blackberry and high speed bandwidth options like cable modems and DSL lines.

Which device do you believe you'll be most reliant on 25 years from now?

Answers ranged from the personal digital assistant, cell phones, something yet to be invented and laptops and desktops - still!

Interesting! I don't know that I agree with desktops or even laptops. I do believe it's something not yet developed. Maybe voice recognition will finally mature into a usable technology for everyday life and with a faster Internet perhaps a virtual world that eclipses the real one.

Which IT-related issue will have the greatest impact on the tech industry 25 years now?

Those surveyed said wireless connectivity, globalization, going green and a shortage of IT skills.

I think wireless will be seamless long before 25 years from now. I agree with globalization and going green. IT staffing will catch up and will roll along with demand.

I would put at the top of my list: legal issues and compliance, security and privacy.

What do you think?