IBM Declares the End of the PC Era

[Coke Robot]

I don't even know how IBM gets off saying /anything/ about the PC buisness.

They created and immediately LOST it, struggled forever to keep up, always losing, finally giving up and selling off their entire PC buisness.

They reall never "got" PCs even being the inventer of the modern "PC".

So how do they know enough suddenly NOW to say it's over? I think you can pretty much take everything IBM says about the PC buisness and invert it and have a better stab at the truth

That be the truth!

 

[Coke Robot]

Cloud computing realistically isn't going to happen until at least next decade when people are sold on its reliability. A couple weeks ago, one of Amazon and Microsoft's cloud computing centers in Europe was apparently struck by lightning and it took almost two days for everything to get back to normal.

When the power goes out here, I can probably use a laptop to kill some time and catch up on random things. And when it comes back, it takes 30 seconds for my desktop to get back to normal.

It's strange how apple's giant itouch sparked off this idiotic tablet fab, but Microsoft and HP tried doing the tablet thing and it didn't work simply because no one really needed a tablet then since laptops were becoming the next cool thing. I don't see tablets becoming a fixture like the laptop has. Not at least until the first Windows 8 tablet comes out...

 

[Everlong]

I think we are more likely to be nearer to the end of the Steve Jobs era, and are definitely in the post IBM era

I think we were out of the IBM era the second there was more than 5 computers being used worldwide.

 

[mikedl]

Not at least until the first Windows 8 tablet comes out...

Or, at least, until the next Win 8 laptop comes out with the opportunity to attach a real keyboard and mouse as well as a few additional monitors.

Long live PCs!

 

[Max Peck]

The end of the PC?

Steve Jobs, the major competition, thinks so.

IBM, the company that made the biggest business gaffe of the 20th century, thinks so.

Mmmm. Do I see a pattern here?

I wonder what platform the tablet software is developed on? I can tell you categorically it ain't on the tablet!

-Max

 

[Max Peck]

Try running AutoCAD 2012 on an iPad. You can't. Try running PhotoShop on an iPad. You can't. All an iPad is good for is playing games, checking email and getting immersed in social networks.

The PC dead? Hardly. Not for a long time to come. Maybe once we all get 100Mbps internet, perhaps. Still, what happens if your connection goes down?

Cloud computing is an esoteric endeavor but it will be a while before it becomes even remotely ubiquitous as PCs.

These marketing people are really one-dimensional (dimentia?) in their thinking. Just because the tablet form-factor exists and addresses a particular market they all-of-a-sudden think that the other market is now dead.

That's a little like saying "watch out, Airbus came out with the A380, now all GA aircraft (Cessna, Beech, Mooney, etc.) are now in mortal danger!" Nonsense.

Tablets are very cool devices. My iPhone4 is a cool device. I love using them. Replace my desktop and laptop machines for software development and high-volume input? Gimme a break. That simply ain't going to happen.

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!

-Max

 

[Max Peck]

It's strange how apple's giant itouch sparked off this idiotic tablet fab, but Microsoft and HP tried doing the tablet thing and it didn't work simply because no one really needed a tablet then since laptops were becoming the next cool thing. I don't see tablets becoming a fixture like the laptop has. Not at least until the first Windows 8 tablet comes out...

I've played with the iPads. They're not enough different from my iPhone4 to warrant having an extra device. Oh yeah, the larger screen is cool but I've got my iPhone4, laptop and desktop machines here. I can't find where the tablet machine would fit in yet, it would just be a vestigal piece of equipment cluttering up the house.

I've considered getting an HP Touchpad to play with but, OTOH, do I want to spend $500 for another toy to sit in the garage?

-Max

 

[Nemix]

Who's talking about iPads, if anything Android and Windows 8 tablets will replace PC's.

Apple had a good 2 years head start and all they've done is made a bigger iPhone.

 

[Skulblaka]

Hm, to mock those incompetent fools, "lol wut?"

 

[pparks1]

Who's talking about iPads, if anything Android and Windows 8 tablets will replace PC's.

Apple had a good 2 years head start and all they've done is made a bigger iPhone.

And it sells like gangbusters. I'm not an Apple fan by any stretch, but they currently own this market segment. Everything else is simply an alternative to an iPAD.

 

[simmo]

PC's will be around for as long as ID make games like Rage...THQ make Metro and Dice make BF3 etc...bet u can't play them on a tablet/phone etc.

Tablets/laptops etc are rubbish imo..don't own one and don't want to either..my housemate has a lappie and it basically can't run anygame I currently have on my PC.

 

[pparks1]

I don't find laptops useless as about 98% of the time I am using a computer I'm not playing a game I'm probably on my laptop about 95% of the time, with my desktop a mere 5%. It's almost not even worth owning it.

 

[PwnFrnzy]

The PC will be around for a very long time. I love sitting at a desk with a computer that has speed, power and reliability to go along with it.
You cannot use 3D applications, image editing programs, or play today's graphically demanding games on a tablet, or a laptop without spending a hefty amount on a gaming laptop of course.
I will not, shall not, use and kind of tablet or mobile device in the future. They are useless to me.

 

[Coke Robot]

Who's talking about iPads, if anything Android and Windows 8 tablets will replace PC's.

Apple had a good 2 years head start and all they've done is made a bigger iPhone.

Yep, or an itouch for the elderly.

 

[Coke Robot]

Simply put I think, the era of the laptop is definitely here. It's a tad way premature to think devices running ARM processors can be used for everything and anything.

The only useful tablet is a Windows tablet and not an android or ios tablet that uses apps not actual programs.

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!

 

[Nemix]

Who's talking about iPads, if anything Android and Windows 8 tablets will replace PC's.

Apple had a good 2 years head start and all they've done is made a bigger iPhone.

And it sells like gangbusters. I'm not an Apple fan by any stretch, but they currently own this market segment. Everything else is simply an alternative to an iPAD.

Being first to the market obviously gets you some rewards even if innovation is not key. With Tegra 3 (first quad-core Tablet APU) and Android 4.0 (Google's so called 'secret weapon') coming soon we'll just have to wait and see where Apple stands and that's not even mentioning Microsoft's Windows 8 TE (Tablet Edition) entrance...to be continued.

However, I think the PC has a long way to go before total extinction.

 

[pparks1]

Microsoft's Windows 8 TE (Tablet Edition) entrance...to be continued.

I'll be honest, I wouldn't give 2 seconds thought to a Microsoft based tablet. Just like i don't give 2 seconds thought to the Windows phone market.

 

[pparks1]

Microsoft's Windows 8 TE (Tablet Edition) entrance...to be continued.

I'll be honest, I wouldn't give 2 seconds thought to a Microsoft based tablet. Just like i don't give 2 seconds thought to the Windows phone market. I really prefer to have other vendors out there. MS is already on some of my PC's and my laptop. It's on 1/3 of my consoles at home. That's really enough for me.

 

[DustSailor]

I wouldn't be suprised if both Jobs and Dean used multiple PC's; both at home and work.

I wouldn't think this to be quite true, at least in my own opinion only. Mac computers seem to be a type of mid range computers with a lot of extra software that people can enjoy. PC seems to hold the market at low end and high end computers (cheaper home computers, gaming, and work related computers).

I wouldn't be surprised if Jobs had an apple computer at work and at home as it would likely be free for him, and he would have no reason to own a PC (unless he was a true gamer, which would require either a PC or ability for a mac to run PC software).

on the otherhand: Dean, well, he likely owns both computer types.


Apple iphones, and ipads, etc. are great for those apps and pre-installed software, but like others say, if you want to get something done in a reasonable amount of time, you will need a proper screen and a keyboard that can fit a finger proper per key (standard sized). iphones are a great distraction for short intervals, and those that claim not to own a computer (using only a smart phone) obviously don't really need a computer to begin with.

Quick pre-installed fun with lots of apps and software: apple computer.
Cheap or high-end home or gaming computer, or work-related, use a PC

 

[Coke Robot]

Who's talking about iPads, if anything Android and Windows 8 tablets will replace PC's.

Apple had a good 2 years head start and all they've done is made a bigger iPhone.

And it sells like gangbusters. I'm not an Apple fan by any stretch, but they currently own this market segment. Everything else is simply an alternative to an iPAD.

Being first to the market obviously gets you some rewards even if innovation is not key. With Tegra 3 (first quad-core Tablet APU) and Android 4.0 (Google's so called 'secret weapon') coming soon we'll just have to wait and see where Apple stands and that's not even mentioning Microsoft's Windows 8 TE (Tablet Edition) entrance...to be continued.

However, I think the PC has a long way to go before total extinction.

Well, fortunately, Windows 8 will basically have the tablet interface built into it and will hopefully spill a bit over to the non-tablet devices.