New
#50
IBM Declares the End of the PC Era
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New #51
Wait, isn't the average laptop a PC? PCs will be around for quite some time.
As was so eloquently presented by Max Peck (thanks, Max):
One other thing. Anybody else notice this constant back-and-forth thing between centralized and localized computing? I've seen it cycle back-and-forth at least a couple of times in my 35-year career as a developer. Now they're calling the central computing model the "cloud". Before that it was called the "web". Before that it was called "time sharing". Nothing new here!
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New #52
There will always be a need for a PC, in some shape or form and it won't dissolve into obscurity like how many people think. Tablets have introduced the public to light computing, let's face it not everyone needs a complete PC as in a desktop, laptop, heck even a Mac. They can email, text, stay connected to social media content, take/receive/share pictures, video chat, surf the internet, buy stuff online, watch movies and play music, play games.
Moderate to heavy computer users will find tablets cumbersome, at some point the convenience advantage of a tablet won't counter some of its obvious shortfalls. People who type moderately/heavily have already acknowledged the importance of using a real keyboard (bluetooth, etc.). You can't get the right experience with certain apps using a tablet (like how an online gamer won't find playing WorldofWarcraft very pleasurable), you still need a regular machine to transfer songs to your iPod or smartphone (unless you intend on acquiring everything online). Power Users that need more onboard memory for their needs, real drives to deal with media conversion projects or having the ability to use Virtual Machines to interact with other operating systems can't do that with a tablet.
I've said this in a different thread before and I'll say it again. People sometimes say stuff like "PC's are dead" or what not just to stir up ---- online.
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New #53
Pffft!
Until a device comes along as versital as a PC, all the talk of it's demise is hot air.
I think what is closer to the truth is certain corporate interests want to keep selling gagdets that are dumb and rely heavily on the "Cloud" (a.k.a.-SaaS, Software as a Service or ASP, Aplication Service Providers)
This will ensure a constant revenue stream for these companies at the expense of security and access to your data and online applications you rent or lease from them.
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New #54
It is understandable that Apple will push the Mobile Device / Tablet over the PC as that is their commercial reality - they are insignificant players in the PC market and, are at the moment, leading in the Portable device / tablet market.
It is in their interest to get as many people as possible to commit to purchase of their product before the newer products from the giants of the consumer market, take over. Apples lead in this market is already being challenged with android powered devices outselling Apple 2 to 1
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New #55
Actually, it's not really even a bigger iPhone - it's a huge iPod Touch: and that's exactly what I said when I first saw one. No doubt, it's definitely a cool device. If all I wanted to do with a computer was do e-mail, read and respond to forums and read books over there in my easy chair then an iPad would do me fine. However, there's about 50 other things I do with a computer that would be pure pain to try and do on one.
-Max
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New #56
I wouldn't go that far. Though I don't find that an iPad fits my situation right now either, if I were still spending a lot of time in the cockpit I'd definitely have an iPad. There are some excellent pilot resources available for that platform and it would be way better than carrying a bunch of charts around. Windows tablets (I have one) are not there yet, though even they have uses that an iPad doesn't. I use my Windows tablet as a platform for touch-screen-based timeclock and Point-of-Sale screen applications.
The "cloud" is just centralized computing again. Just like the "web" and "time sharing". Some will, some won't, so what?And as for cloud computing, aw hell no! apple may release their next cheaper iphone to be more cloud based, I sure as hell wouldn't trust apple for one second with my data. Flippin' communists!
-Max
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New #57
Ya think? ;-) Just take a ride down to your nearest "Best Buy" and walk around in there. If the PC is even approaching extinction it's doing a poor imitation of it!
Again ... the tablet PC is just another market segment. It's a new tool. It will replace PC's only where people used PC's where a tablet would do. The tablet is like a hammer ... when they came out with hammers I no longer needed to drive nails with my lawn mower, that's all.
-Max
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New #58
I gave 4 seconds thought to a Microsoft (Win7) based tablet as a special-use device. It makes an excellent platform as a programmable field device. For example, I developed an employee time clock application that runs on it. Instead of paying $2,000 for a "specialty" time clock I could sell one for $500 that is ultimately programmable and re-configurable. It would also make an excellent point-of-sale terminal when coupled with a cash drawer. No dedicated buttons ... totally programmable.
-Max
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