Abstract
This paper presents an event model and a simulation model for industrial change that are tested for the evolution of the desktop PC microprocessor industry. The aim of the paper is to enhance our understanding of how technological trajectories are the outcome of the interplay of social, economic, scientific and technological factors.<br /><br /> Most scholars that have studied the microprocessor industry or the PC industry have used events in narratives to explain the dynamic of these industries. Our research shows that unique events influence the technological trajectory in three different ways: 1) by speeding up new chip releases and performance, 2) by forcing the actors to non-sustainable performance increase, and 3) by slowing up chip releases and performance increases by focusing on other factors like marketing and branding.