At the end of 2016, I expected IBM (NYSE: IBM) to have another quietly transitional year in 2017. Big Blue had some big growth drivers up its sleeves, but these game-changers often take a while to mature."As a shareholder myself, I could live with another couple of years at lower prices so that the reinvested dividends can buy more stock at lower prices, but I'll also cheer when the big breakthrough finally arrives," I said.That's exactly what we got.