GartnerInc is said to be the firm that popularized the use of MagicQuadrants for various purposes.

Perhaps the magic lies in the mesmerizing effect it has on an audience dissatisfied with the drawbacks of "single track" mind, and thought instead "2 tracks (dimensions)" solve all the worlds problems. 

''I think it's just adopting the well-known idea that all marketing ideas involve a two-by-two matrix'' :) -- AnonymousMarketeer

'''Will somebody please add something to this page that explains what a "magic quadrant" ''is''? This is a worthless mess of unhelpful links.'''

According to Gartner's site, the Magic Quadrant is a graphical representation of vendor performance in a market segment.

----
MagicQuadrants on Decision Making

Plots decision making styles against solutions examined.

See Mar2005 blog at http://www.iathink.com/.

----
'''Readings

''Do you believe in Magic Quadrants?'' at http://www.f5.com/f5/news/articles/MagnifireArt020904.html

----
See also FourQuadrants 

----
CategoryManagement CategoryCommunication