The Decline Of The Pc

[looksgoodinred]

computing devices, not politically correct people

 

The number of personal computers shipped in the first three months of this year decreased by almost 14 per cent – the largest drop since International Data Corp. began tracking worldwide sales in 1984.

 

The industry is going through a critical crossroads, and strategic choices will have to be made as to how to compete with the proliferation of alternative devices.

 

I love my smartphone. and i don't have a tablet. but i still feel more comfortable, if i'm going to be doing much more than a few lines of text or the odd message, using my netbook when i'm at home. so i can't foresee ever giving up having a laptop as well as the phone. and i definitely can't foresee ridding my workplace of desktop workstations and laptops. i expect lots of other people are the same. so i can't foresee ever not replacing those devices in time.

 

could you see yourself making do with just a tablet and/or smartphone for all your computing needs?

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/smartphones-tablets-and-windows-8-hasten-the-pcs-plunge/article10982527/

[Tommy]

ACAB

[StandFree1982]

Are we talking about Desktops here or is this Desktops AND Laptops?

 

I doubt laptops will be replaced anytime soon, although tablets are getting a lot better for business use. I have an ASUS Transformer Prime tablet which has a docking station so it's almost a laptop, but when it comes to grunt work then a PC / Laptop is still king! For example, Image editing or video editing.

[looksgoodinred]

Are we talking about Desktops here or is this Desktops AND Laptops?

 

I doubt laptops will be replaced anytime soon, although tablets are getting a lot better for business use. I have an ASUS Transformer Prime tablet which has a docking station so it's almost a laptop, but when it comes to grunt work then a PC / Laptop is still king! For example, Image editing or video editing.

 

the article references PCs, so perhaps more organizations are using laptops hooked up to external devices/docking stations to get more flexibility and still be able to get the "grunt" work as you call it done.

 

i can see laptops becoming less useful at home with the advent of tablets, but neither being replaced at home by just a smartphone. not for me, anyway.

[tup]

Techy fiends do my nut in, most boring cunts on the planet.

[StandFree1982]

 

Are we talking about Desktops here or is this Desktops AND Laptops?

 

I doubt laptops will be replaced anytime soon, although tablets are getting a lot better for business use. I have an ASUS Transformer Prime tablet which has a docking station so it's almost a laptop, but when it comes to grunt work then a PC / Laptop is still king! For example, Image editing or video editing.

 

the article references PCs, so perhaps more organizations are using laptops hooked up to external devices/docking stations to get more flexibility and still be able to get the "grunt" work as you call it done.

 

i can see laptops becoming less useful at home with the advent of tablets, but neither being replaced at home by just a smartphone. not for me, anyway.

I hardly ever use my laptop now unless i'm ripping stuff from CD / DVD or needing on a website that is crap on mobile form.

 

Most companies i've worked for all use laptops with docking stations. It also means if we're snowed in we can work from home (yay....oh wait....ffs!) and you can take your work laptop on business with you. I can't imagine ever owning a desktop PC ever again.

 

Desktops are still popular amongst PC Gamers though!

[Sheep#1]

I have had an hp tablet on loan from my bro for the past 6 months, said I could borrow it to see if I liked it and if so, could buy it off him as he got a new Samsung one. E-mailed me today asking what I wanted to do. Only time I ever really used it was to watch series 7 of Dexter that he downloaded and stuck on it for me when he gave me it, so I said no deal. Hardly use my laptop much either these days, usually just use my phone now to go online, sadly enough only sites I actually even use are here, facebook and BBC sport, so phone does me fine. Don't think I am much of a 'techie' though.

[bonzodaddy73]

The pc won't be going anywhere for a long time. My current post is helping a government agency switch their systems from Windows 2000 to Windows 7. They are quite a high profile agency and they're on Windows 2000, im mean ffs!

[Henry]

im mean ffs!

 

Good of you to admit that, don't expect a pint off Bonzo if you're in Inverness anytime soon everyone.

[bonzodaddy73]

Doesn't matter where it is. No pints of me anywhere ;-)

[Ke1t]

There's going to have to be a pretty major leap in Tablet or Handheld technology before the PC disappears.

 

What you're probably seeing is a decline in PC sales amongst those people who don't really have much use for a fully functioning PC anyway, but had one because that's how they got their Email and posted on Facebook.

 

You don't need a thousand dollar piece of immobile hardware sitting in your bedroom/office when all you want to do is post pictures of kittens and Jesus to your Facebook chums. For 3 hundred bucks you can get a tablet that you can cart around with you, check Email, and Twitter about whatever nonsense people Twitter about.

 

For a large number of people, however, the PC is the Hub of their entertainment and information system. Right now there's no viable alternative to the PC, because only desktops are powerful enough to act as a fully-functioning streaming media hub.

 

I haven't seen any realistic alternative looming on the horizon yet. Maybe in 10 or 20 years some kind of gimpy little box, with a wireless connection to a tablet, will allow the PC to be reduced to a crippled version of its current self. With some form of rentable cloud storage to replace HDDs.

 

you can probably say goodbye to CD/DVD and Blu-Ray rippers and burners, adios to the monitor, ciao Bella to the physical keyboard, and See Ya to physical storage.

 

Imagine a human being reduced to a brain in a jar. But you can connect to that brain in a jar to tap into its contents.

 

That'll be your desktop.

[dj_bollocks]

....but i still feel more comfortable, if i'm going to be doing much more than a few lines....

 

This stood out for me as I skim read...

 

And then of course I read it properly...

[bonzodaddy73]

 

 

....but i still feel more comfortable, if i'm going to be doing much more than a few lines....

This stood out for me as I skim read...

 

And then of course I read it properly...

There's going to have to be a pretty major leap in Tablet or Handheld technology before the PC disappears.

 

What you're probably seeing is a decline in PC sales amongst those people who don't really have much use for a fully functioning PC anyway, but had one because that's how they got their Email and posted on Facebook.

 

You don't need a thousand dollar piece of immobile hardware sitting in your bedroom/office when all you want to do is post pictures of kittens and Jesus to your Facebook chums. For 3 hundred bucks you can get a tablet that you can cart around with you, check Email, and Twitter about whatever nonsense people Twitter about.

 

For a large number of people, however, the PC is the Hub of their entertainment and information system. Right now there's no viable alternative to the PC, because only desktops are powerful enough to act as a fully-functioning streaming media hub.

 

I haven't seen any realistic alternative looming on the horizon yet. Maybe in 10 or 20 years some kind of gimpy little box, with a wireless connection to a tablet, will allow the PC to be reduced to a crippled version of its current self. With some form of rentable cloud storage to replace HDDs.

 

you can probably say goodbye to CD/DVD and Blu-Ray rippers and burners, adios to the monitor, ciao Bella to the physical keyboard, and See Ya to physical storage.

 

Imagine a human being reduced to a brain in a jar. But you can connect to that brain in a jar to tap into its contents.

 

 

That'll be your desktop.

http://countdowntozerotime.org/

[E-P-K]

There's going to have to be a pretty major leap in Tablet or Handheld technology before the PC disappears.

 

What you're probably seeing is a decline in PC sales amongst those people who don't really have much use for a fully functioning PC anyway, but had one because that's how they got their Email and posted on Facebook.

 

You don't need a thousand dollar piece of immobile hardware sitting in your bedroom/office when all you want to do is post pictures of kittens and Jesus to your Facebook chums. For 3 hundred bucks you can get a tablet that you can cart around with you, check Email, and Twitter about whatever nonsense people Twitter about.

 

For a large number of people, however, the PC is the Hub of their entertainment and information system. Right now there's no viable alternative to the PC, because only desktops are powerful enough to act as a fully-functioning streaming media hub.

 

I haven't seen any realistic alternative looming on the horizon yet. Maybe in 10 or 20 years some kind of gimpy little box, with a wireless connection to a tablet, will allow the PC to be reduced to a crippled version of its current self. With some form of rentable cloud storage to replace HDDs.

 

you can probably say goodbye to CD/DVD and Blu-Ray rippers and burners, adios to the monitor, ciao Bella to the physical keyboard, and See Ya to physical storage.

 

Imagine a human being reduced to a brain in a jar. But you can connect to that brain in a jar to tap into its contents.

 

That'll be your desktop.

 

 

Ironically enough, I have been looking at upgrading my desktop for a new one, I do very little other that web browsing, youtube watching, and some spotify listening, with some occasional photo's from my camera stored on the HD,

 

What OS, CPU, RAM, memory, harddrive etc etc will suffice for a speedy upgarde ?

[Ke1t]

 

 

 

....but i still feel more comfortable, if i'm going to be doing much more than a few lines....

This stood out for me as I skim read...

 

And then of course I read it properly...

>There's going to have to be a pretty major leap in Tablet or Handheld technology before the PC disappears.

 

What you're probably seeing is a decline in PC sales amongst those people who don't really have much use for a fully functioning PC anyway, but had one because that's how they got their Email and posted on Facebook.

 

You don't need a thousand dollar piece of immobile hardware sitting in your bedroom/office when all you want to do is post pictures of kittens and Jesus to your Facebook chums. For 3 hundred bucks you can get a tablet that you can cart around with you, check Email, and Twitter about whatever nonsense people Twitter about.

 

For a large number of people, however, the PC is the Hub of their entertainment and information system. Right now there's no viable alternative to the PC, because only desktops are powerful enough to act as a fully-functioning streaming media hub.

 

I haven't seen any realistic alternative looming on the horizon yet. Maybe in 10 or 20 years some kind of gimpy little box, with a wireless connection to a tablet, will allow the PC to be reduced to a crippled version of its current self. With some form of rentable cloud storage to replace HDDs.

 

you can probably say goodbye to CD/DVD and Blu-Ray rippers and burners, adios to the monitor, ciao Bella to the physical keyboard, and See Ya to physical storage.

 

Imagine a human being reduced to a brain in a jar. But you can connect to that brain in a jar to tap into its contents.

 

 

That'll be your desktop.

http://countdowntozerotime.org/

 

 

Not really.

 

Your PC currently has arms and leg and a head and a cock. As I said, imagine if all those things were chopped off, and your only form of interface was a wireless tablet.

 

Keyboard, Monitor, external drives, a mouse, Optical media in the form of DVD/Blu-Ray and CD readers/burners, and various other peripherals are attached to current desktops.

 

Realistically, right now, I can dispense with most of those things and interface simply the tower, with no need for any peripheral devices at all.

[The Boofon]

Can your computer hurry up and get the Dunfermline match in your blog played. They are reeling from being put in admin and we should hammer them.

[Ke1t]

Can your computer hurry up and get the Dunfermline match in your blog played. They are reeling from being put in admin and we should hammer them.

 

Ha... that game has been played, just have to sit down and hammer out a match report

 

Maybe I'll do that tonight.

 

Or shag the wife, who just got home from a week in Colorado...

 

...decisions decisions....

[The Boofon]

She'll be shagged out. Get typing.

[jassb]

The decline will definitely be down to the home users switching to tablets. Most of what most people do at home can be done on a tablet - Internet, social networking, emails, books, and banking. Even email use is in decline as the younger generation use social networks instead.

 

Music? Most have probably switched to the Internet for music too. Add a decent speaker dock or Bluetooth speaker and you've got a decent enough music system. Add something like a Sonos system and you've got a very good music system.

 

The other plus is apps. Easy to find and install. Mostly free, or cheap. If they are shit, easy to remove them.

 

Then you've got the speed of tablets too. How many people who have PC's have probably stuck them in a corner to gather dust because they are too slow or full of virus's and malware, and they don't know anyone who can fix it for them? You don't need to know much technical stuff to do what you want to do with most tablets. And they're very reliable things. I used to get phoned to fix PC's all the time, I don't think anyone has asked me for help with their iPad or Android.

 

Tablets are definitely the way for the majority of home users. For businesses on the other hand, I think desktops and laptops will be around for a very long time. The thing is to be sure of this, the manufacturers will have to get better, and fast. There are plenty decent improvements in hardware recently, solid state drives, longer battery life, increased memory support, 64 bit support, and ultra books to mention a few of those. Software on the other hand, could be a problem. Microsoft thought Windows 8 was going to be the next big thing and it isn't looking like that. At the moment, people aren't moving to it, or they are moving to Apple.

[Ke1t]

The decline will definitely be down to the home users switching to tablets. Most of what most people do at home can be done on a tablet - Internet, social networking, emails, books, and banking. Even email use is in decline as the younger generation use social networks instead.

 

Music? Most have probably switched to the Internet for music too. Add a decent speaker dock or Bluetooth speaker and you've got a decent enough music system. Add something like a Sonos system and you've got a very good music system.

 

The other plus is apps. Easy to find and install. Mostly free, or cheap. If they are shit, easy to remove them.

 

Then you've got the speed of tablets too. How many people who have PC's have probably stuck them in a corner to gather dust because they are too slow or full of virus's and malware, and they don't know anyone who can fix it for them? You don't need to know much technical stuff to do what you want to do with most tablets. And they're very reliable things. I used to get phoned to fix PC's all the time, I don't think anyone has asked me for help with their iPad or Android.

 

Tablets are definitely the way for the majority of home users. For businesses on the other hand, I think desktops and laptops will be around for a very long time. The thing is to be sure of this, the manufacturers will have to get better, and fast. There are plenty decent improvements in hardware recently, solid state drives, longer battery life, increased memory support, 64 bit support, and ultra books to mention a few of those. Software on the other hand, could be a problem. Microsoft thought Windows 8 was going to be the next big thing and it isn't looking like that. At the moment, people aren't moving to it, or they are moving to Apple.

 

 

I can see desktops coming out of the workplace in favour of one large Hub/Server, with multiple tablets connected to that hub wirelessly. With 4g, and home networks, a worker can literally take their work computer home, log onto the work server and continue working from their home while they watch The Biggest Loser or Survivor.

 

Right now I connect to my home computer via Splashtop from on-site locations.

 

I can (and have) made posts to The Hat using my Galaxy Note, via my home PC using Splashtop. I can stream anything from my home network to my Tablet simply by using my home PC as the interface... no keyboards, mice, monitors or other peripherals involved.

 

For a work environment one main hub with the staff using relatively cheap and mobile tablets and smart devices would actually save companies huge amounts of money and increase productivity. Obviously I won't suggest that, because I rely on those companies NOT saving huge amounts of money, but rather putting some of that cash into my bank account

[jassb]

Long term, you're probably right there for the work place. We are already doing that at our place with Citrix, with the Receiver on mobile devices and ShareFile for taking documents with you - as long as you are on-line that works. But for real work (documents, spreadsheets, etc). I think it will take a lot to take keyboards, mice, and large monitors away from people. On-screen keyboards aren't great since you lose half the screen. Ideally a powerful machine when you're at work, and release the screen to use as a tablet while at home or travelling, with the option to take the lot if you want. Something like the HP Envy and these new convertibles, but theyve not got enough power yet. It's definitely coming, but I think docking it in to something when you need the full functionality of a keyboard and large screen is what users will really like. Hybrids and Windows 8 tablets weren't counted as PC's in the report. http://www.wpcentral.com/idc-139-decline-pc-shipments-not-accurate-outlook

[a don in oz]

My desktop PC is 4 years old a week ago. That's unheard of for me, but really there's not been any real reason to upgrade it since (excepting the graphics) and that is for gaming too.

 

i7 920 and 12GB of triple channel ddr3... not any reason to upgrade that for anything since I got it.

The lack of major performance upgrades in that time is hurting it. Not only are people keeping their wallets closed, the ones with money to spend don't see much reason to.

[urbanprotection]

No mention of Thin Client unless you class the tablet / hub scenario although its a bit of a hybrid. Also no mention of BYOD? Although the market looks like it may favour providing The workforce with options through categorisation thus negating the security, policy and support issues inherent with BYOD.

[Bluto10]

Threasds on computers are ace

[Ke1t]

No mention of Thin Client unless you class the tablet / hub scenario although its a bit of a hybrid. Also no mention of BYOD? Although the market looks like it may favour providing The workforce with options through categorisation thus negating the security, policy and support issues inherent with BYOD.

 

In reality I guess you can configure pretty much any kind of system you want... nowadays it;s largely about finding suitable software that works how you want it. The technology is there... the only real issue being the client not knowing what he wants, what's available, or how best to implement that technology for his own benefit.

[The Boofon]

 

No mention of Thin Client unless you class the tablet / hub scenario although its a bit of a hybrid. Also no mention of BYOD? Although the market looks like it may favour providing The workforce with options through categorisation thus negating the security, policy and support issues inherent with BYOD.

In reality I guess you can configure pretty much any kind of system you want... nowadays it;s largely about finding suitable software that works how you want it. The technology is there... the only real issue being the client not knowing what he wants, what's available, or how best to implement that technology for his own benefit.

No update on the Dunfermline match. Hope she was good after a week away.

[Ke1t]

 

 

No mention of Thin Client unless you class the tablet / hub scenario although its a bit of a hybrid. Also no mention of BYOD? Although the market looks like it may favour providing The workforce with options through categorisation thus negating the security, policy and support issues inherent with BYOD.

In reality I guess you can configure pretty much any kind of system you want... nowadays it;s largely about finding suitable software that works how you want it. The technology is there... the only real issue being the client not knowing what he wants, what's available, or how best to implement that technology for his own benefit.

No update on the Dunfermline match. Hope she was good after a week away.

 

I've had a fuckload of work and homework to be getting on with, and I haven't even been able to get round to my 'hilarious' puppet theatre that I planned to upload this week.

 

Rest assured with the weekend here I'll be getting on with real stuff like Fitba Manager and Puppet-related shenanigans,

[The Boofon]

No comment on bedroom olympics?

[jassb]

No mention of Thin Client unless you class the tablet / hub scenario although its a bit of a hybrid. Also no mention of BYOD? Although the market looks like it may favour providing The workforce with options through categorisation thus negating the security, policy and support issues inherent with BYOD.

Not a fan of Thin Clients, although we do use them offshore for Internet. But since we provided WiFi throughout, no one really uses them, and prefer to use their own devices.

 

BYOD. Isn't it just council offices and NHS that do that? Too much hassle for the IT department in my opinion. IT don't like it, and the users don't like IT applying restrictions to their own stuff. Happy to let staff use their own devices as long as they arent connected to the network, so webmail and Citrix is how we let people do that, with 2 factor authentication for security. Companies shouldnt be so tight that they don't provide their staff with the tools they need to do their jobs, ie decent computers.

[Bluto10]

Talking about computers is about as interesting as talking to you