Since computing technology spread around the world there has been always a mainstream technology or vendors dominating the market often for a very long time. However alternatives are also present mostly for a very long time. Some alternatives turn into mainstream and several remain an alternative.
Computing was for very long time dominated by IBM, in spite of very successful alternatives e.g. like Sperry, CDC or Datapoint. But the real alternatives were the minicomputer makers like Data General, DEC or Wang. They did well and lasted long but never could reach a higher status of an alternative.
In microprocessor technology Intel dominates, but now there is a chance that ARM architecture will dominant in future devices.
In my opinion the longest living - and very inspiring - technology is UNIX and its variants. It was, and is an alternative but never got dominant. But maybe it will be the most widespread kernel soon.
Best know is Apple which seemed to be part of computer history not so long age, but now it's back and dominates the market not only in solution quality but slowly also in production numbers. And there is the C language, SSD technology, objects databases...
The mainstream - once it get a mainstream - is predictable; after Windows 7 we will have Windows 8 and then it will be renamed to Windows something and so on... However we can't really predict the alternative. It seems that the next big thing is already among us but nothing like big. We know it, maybe even use it but don't know that it will be successful once. There is no rule how it is created or why it will be successful. The only thing which seems to be common is that alternatives are driven by a single women or man or a small group of enthusiastic people.
So look around; what is the alternative of your local mainstream?
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