Microsoft predicts another cruel quarter for PCs

The DIY PC market is as strong as ever. Graphics card sales are still in the billions of dollars every year. Now that the PS4 and new Xbox is x86 based, I only see PC gaming growing. They can write code for the game for a PC and port it down to consoles, instead of the asinine way they've been doing it. That means that computers from Best Buy and other places will be able to play games better than in the past because the code for more games will be written for a PC, which means it will run more efficiently. There is no replacement for a desktop computer.......none. There are still more than enough people who will have a desktop at home for real computing and a tablet/laptop for mobility.

I agree. I also believe that this comment from M$ "Microsoft predicts another cruel quarter for PCs" is just propaganda to try and get the world to move to smartphones and tablets.

There is nothing better than a personal computer for entertainment, work and learning - period.

No matter what functionality they add to Tablets and similar devices, I agree with you...nothing will ever replace the ease of use of a desktop. Could you imagine coding on a tablet? I'd hang myself!

Three years ago HP announced the were going to stop making personal computers - sure they were. lol They are pumping them out like crazy.

Blaming Microsoft for the decline of PC sales is like blaming technology for the decline of the horse and buggy. Yeah, think about that one.

Anyway even if everyone here "bought a spare copy of Windows 7" it still wouldn't put a dent in the decline of the desktop PC. Why, because, wait for it, wait for it..... tablets!

That's right tablets are the fastest growing tech out in the PC word. More and more people are buying them as opposed to desktops.

Here's an example... We have a household of 4 people. Well we have one desktop, but we also have 4 tablets. Also, since I'm using the desktop less and less, and my tablet more and more, I'm less likely to purchase a desktop anytime soon, especially where a tablet has so much to offer, including interfacing with peripherals such as keyboards, printers, and oh btw, larger monitors.

Tablets are killing the desktop PC, not Microsoft.

If anything I would argue Microsoft is actually trying to save the desktop by proving an OS that's actually trying to converge all the available tech out there to work on both desktop and mobile devices. Suddenly I can use my desktop in ways mobile devices work, and be able to have that tech with me when I go mobile using my tablet or smartphone.

I pretty much do this now with Microsoft's SkyDrive. I can work on a file on my desktop, save it to the cloud and have it available to any portable device I have. I can even access those files from the internet.

Point is, Microsoft seems to be the easy one to blame, seeing all the hate for 8, but the fact is, the desktop PC was dying long ago when smartphones and tablets came along.

It's just that everyone is now looking to Microsoft to stop the slide; and not even they can do so. And so the next logical step is to create an OS that integrates with the mobile technology and desktop OS.

Technology marches on, and not even Microsoft can slow it; nor should they.

My two cents.

Britton30 said:

A tablet cannot do what my real computer can do. A horse and buggy can't do what my pick up does. Adding all those peripherals to make a tablet really useful is akin to my pulling a buggy with my truck.

You know I keep hearing that, and tough it is true, it is only true to a certain point. Example, I don't need a desktop or laptop to check my e-mail, surf the internet, social network, read or edit a file, and a myriad of other things that can be accomplished with either a tablet or smartphone.

And no matter how many times we say the tablet can't do things a desktop PC can do.... that's still not slowing it's decline. And tablet sales are still rising. Those are the cold hard facts.

Then there's the gaming consoles, which really, in my opinion, started the decline of the PC, as more and more potential desktop users have moved to consoles for their gaming needs.

Yes, they'll still be a need/function for desktops, but just not in the prevalent ways of the past. For me photo editing and gaming is what I mostly use my desktop for. Outside of that, my 13.3 laptop, which I consider part of the mobile movement, allows me to work on documents and other tasks my big desktop PC did, including photo editing.

And yes, businesses will still need and use desktops, but the numbers can't replace the individual consumer that may have bought them in the past.

You'll also still have the enthusiasts like me who enjoys building high end desktop PC's for gaming or performance, but still, we aren't a large enough group to stem the slide.

Nope, tablets are the new PC's and the desktops are very slowly moving to yesterday's news.