But even professional mechanics need specialized computers to make sense of the family sedan these days.

WSJ: A Real Man's Place Is in the Kitchen by Daniel Duane

Over the last 20 years, Cisco has come to dominate the business of routers and switches--the specialized computers that shuttle packets of data around a network, and form the backbone of the Internet--and about two thirds of its revenue comes from sales of those devices.

FORBES: Cisco Reaches High And Low

Tentatively called iTunes.com, the service would allow customers to buy music without going through the specialized iTunes program on computers and iPhones.

WSJ: With Tablet, Apple Sees New Money in Old Media

In one, airlines preload content and specialized in-flight applications onto tablet computers that flight attendants then distribute in the cabins.

WSJ: Some Airlines Lend iPads for In-Flight Entertainment Systems

So it is that the world of silicon chips divides itself into two camps: the all-purpose ones that power desktop computers, and the fast, specialized, cheap ones that run cellular phones, answering machines or car engines.

FORBES: Chips that change their spots

What we do know now is, in the long-run, web traffic will matter less and less as services such as Twitter mature into companies that use the Internet to connect computers, set top boxes, phones, and other devices through specialized applications, rather than the boring old Web browser.

FORBES: Why Twitter's U.S. Traffic Slump Doesn't Mean It's Toast