The popularity of a given next generation technology is very fickle, and its success or failure depends on many random and unexpected events independent of what logical reasoning would lead us to choose.
The best does not necessarily beat all, and the final winner is usually not by definition the best solution for mankind. More often than not it is the lucky player who takes home all of the chips hands down.
In the end we unknowingly become locked into this randomly chosen technology whether we like it or not. Thanks to a couple of extremely rich lucky winners.
Nature throws a bunch of random events our way. The fittest techies are the species that survives, has more children and spreads the geeky DNA all over the place.
There must be a better way, or not?