Then came the fall: over the last five years, technology funds have been down by an average of 19.1 percent a year.

But that still left technology funds down 38 percent for the year.

From mid-1983 to late 1986, technology funds generally were out of favor.

Technology funds, of course, were not the only strong performers in the first quarter.

Money flooded into technology funds for years before the collapse.

This time, such gains in technology funds were the exception.

The rest would go into an educational technology fund for the county where the plate is purchased.

For the quarter, Firsthand's six technology funds rose an average of 43.2 percent.

"And they don't have the cash flows into technology funds."

Technology funds are about 100 percent off the lows established last fall.