By 2014, less than 20% of devices connected to the Internet will power

[JMH]

Is the PC on the way out? VMware’s CEO Paul Maritz believes so.

“PCs are not the only animal in the zoo anymore” said Maritz during a speech at the annual VMworld conference yesterday in Las Vegas. And he sees the other animals as thinning down the PC herd dramatically as ‘increasingly, users are holding other devices in their hands.’

He goes on:

What we’re seeing in the cloud era is not just hundreds of millions but billions of new users and devices now coming into play. Three years ago over 95 percent of the devices connected to the Internet were personal computers. Three years from now that number will probably be less than 20 percent. More than 80 percent of the devices connected to the Internet will not be Windows-based personal computers.

By 2014, less than 20% of devices connected to the Internet will powered by Windows | ZDNet

 

[andyparks]

Is he psychic I wonder if he will give me 6 numbers between 1 to 49

 

[seekermeister]

The purpose of all predictions of this type is for the purpose of creating a public mindset which is conducive to the goals of the predictor. Unless the prediction is based on real hard facts, I usually ignore them. Even if they are fact based, I may anyway, unless it makes sense to me, and I accept it, because facts are only tiny pieces in the big picture.

 

[Heyyou]

IMHO, It's true that there are scores of new portable devices coming out faster than you can count them. These devices like the iPad are great for what they are intended, but they have their limitations and most people will have a pc for serious work. Who wants to do a spread sheet in a Starbucks?

 

[Layback Bear]

Let's see if I got this correct. The CEO of VMware wants everybody to buy VMware.

 

[Imperfect1]

Is the PC on the way out? VMware’s CEO Paul Maritz believes so.

“PCs are not the only animal in the zoo anymore” said Maritz during a speech at the annual VMworld conference yesterday in Las Vegas. And he sees the other animals as thinning down the PC herd dramatically as ‘increasingly, users are holding other devices in their hands.’

He goes on:

What we’re seeing in the cloud era is not just hundreds of millions but billions of new users and devices now coming into play. Three years ago over 95 percent of the devices connected to the Internet were personal computers. Three years from now that number will probably be less than 20 percent. More than 80 percent of the devices connected to the Internet will not be Windows-based personal computers.

By 2014, less than 20% of devices connected to the Internet will powered by Windows | ZDNet

Let's not ignore the author's summation of the issue. He says:

"Personally, I think that the reports of the PC’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. Mobile devices are increasing in popularity, and web traffic from them as a result is increasing, but I don’t see this having much of an effect on the overall PC ecosystem for some time to come."

 

[HammerHead]

Uh Oh!

View attachment 173236

 

[andyparks]

I will not be getting rid of my pc because with a tablet I cant download films and put them on to disc I can do this with my pc

 

[niemiro]

I will not be getting rid of my pc because with a tablet I cant download films and put them on to disc I can do this with my pc

And what do you do with those disks? Watch them on a TV? Well, maybe by 2014, you will be able to steam your films in fantastic resolutions in full 3D onto your TV directly

 

[Imperfect1]

I need a 'real' keyboard, so I've gotta have a computer. No way around that.

 

[pparks1]

Let's see if I got this correct. The CEO of VMware wants everybody to buy VMware.

This has nothing to do with vmware. Nobody can buy a piece of any vmware software and replace their personal computer operating system by using it.

These numbers aren't outlandish to me, maybe misleading. I mean, i have lots of devices that can access the Internet. My BR player, my Xbox360, my PS3, my Wii, my droid, my wife's iPhone, etc.

I regularly access the Internet through my PS3 (Netflix and Hulu), my Droid and my laptop. Thus, you could say that I'm down to 33% from a personal computer. This in no way means that I plan to stop using my laptop/desktop any time soon...but it's not the only way I get to the Internet.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi all

There've been ZILLIONS of threads on this topic before.

Suggested rules :

1) DO NOT put any faith whatsoever into GARTNER's predictions --they have about as much credibility as my Grandmothers cat trying to design a complex Engineering solution to solving traffic jams on LA's Freeways. Their predictions average just about the same as random guessing would do.

2) If you need to create a spreadsheet / powerpoint demonstration then tablets / ipods can sink in the nearest river.

3) If you can connect a keyboard and a decent monitor to a device (and it could be a mobile phone) then is it a "PC" or not.

I have no problem with new devices replacing PC's so long as they can deliver what I need -- a small phone with an external keyboard and the ability to plug it into a DECENT say 60 CM screen would be fine.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[awenthol]

I need a 'real' keyboard, so I've gotta have a computer. No way around that.

I don't remember what it was (not that it matters to make a point) but I used a "dual screen" laptop last weekend. The keyboard opens on the bottom screen (sits like a normal laptop) and it was horrible to type on. You can't rest your fingers on it...so, I agree, I will always need a legitimate keyboard. I love my EVO but would never use it for more than short email responses.


I love how all these claims of cloud computing leave out the fact that most people don't have access to fast internet.

 

[bigcitycat]

I agree because most people will be using laptops with Windows on them. They seem to think everyone will move to tablets or phones. Sure I use a phone at work but it's secondary and I will always be using a laptop. My laptop is the best all around answer.

 

[mjf]

Some of this discussion has been around for decades. I think it mainly concerns location or processing and memory elements. Gilder's future "fibresphere" is an example of wide access to "dark fibre".
circa 1995
http://www.duke.edu/~mccann/gild-tel.htm
http://www.seas.upenn.edu/~gaj1/fiber.html
The computer BUS is on your doorstep you just need I/O.

 

[pparks1]

I agree because most people will be using laptops with Windows on them. They seem to think everyone will move to tablets or phones. Sure I use a phone at work but it's secondary and I will always be using a laptop. My laptop is the best all around answer.

They said that less than 20% of internet access would be from PC's. So, it's still 20%. Nobody ever said PC's were going away..there will just be many other devices that we use which will also have access. You mentioned your phone...so if your laptop and your phone both hit the web, than 50% of your devices that hit the web are not PC's.

People are reading way more into this story than what is there.

 

[Coke Robot]

This is rich coming from a company that deals with software vitalization and cloud storage. I mean come on, this is like IBM saying desktops have gone the way of typewriters.

People these days..... :sarc:

 

[legacy7955]

The purpose of all predictions of this type is for the purpose of creating a public mindset which is conducive to the goals of the predictor. Unless the prediction is based on real hard facts, I usually ignore them. Even if they are fact based, I may anyway, unless it makes sense to me, and I accept it, because facts are only tiny pieces in the big picture.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
THIS!

I only wish we consumers had a way to get OUR opinions delivered to as many people as these kinds of bs'ers.

 

[Stratos]

It just proves that you don't have to be smart or objective to be the CEO of VMWare.

 

[Beta]

Hype. Trying to drive stock prices.