The year 1995 marked a major turning point for personal computer users. A perfect storm of progress swirled together, merging the Internet with hypertext, the World Wide Web, Web sites, Web pages, Web browsers — and AuctionWeb, which soon would change its name to eBay. At last, people could do something with their PCs besides search for information, exchange e-mails, or post their thoughts on message boards. In online auctions, they could buy almost anything they needed or wanted, from hundreds or even thousands of miles away.