The PC lives --inspite of the New Ipad

[jimbo45]

Hi all
Since Gartner has predicted the demise of the PC with the launch of the new Ipad -- I can confidently predict nothing will be further from the truth.

Nothing wrong with the new Ipad (apart from it's price) but there are just some jobs that can ONLY be done on a PC (Complex Excel spread sheets comes to mind instantly as well as Photoshop).

The new Ipad is great for viewing multi-media / reading email etc -- but it's NOT a PC replacement -- and all those journalists who keep writing about the demise of the PC have never obviously had to prepare a Power Point presentation or use a complex spreadsheet or design complex Engineering blueprints etc.

If you take the OPPOSITE of whatever Gartner says you are more likely to be right.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[z3r010]

iPads are great devices and I will be getting the new one when it hits the shelves in the next few weeks, but it's not PC!!! it is what it is....a tablet and without a doubt the best tablet on the market, but it's a completely different animal with different uses and as so it can never replace something it's just not comparable with.

 

[gregrocker]

My roommate got an Ipad and excitedly announced he wouldn't be using his laptop any longer.

"What about your spreadsheets and Word?" I ask.

"I'll figure out how to do those on here," he replies. "Look at this cool keyboard," showing me an onscreen keyboard strangely missing numbers. Spreadsheets?

Well it's weeks later and he uses it on the sofa for everything he used his IPhone for before, nothing else except maybe the TV remote - and it stays by the sofa because he needs his IPhone when mobile, even upstairs.

The laptop is still used for everything it was before, too.

This is why I was surprised Win8 is being rolled out over Win7 since WIn7 only really needs (I guess) the touchscreen adaptations added on which annoy PC users.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
different argument -- but I LIKE the consumer preview of W8 -- not a finished article yet but it certainly COULD be used on tablets etc -- and once you get used to it the Metro UI isn't horrible either.

BTW I an also thinking of getting an Ipad but it won't be used as a replacement for a PC -- it's a totally different animal more akin to a Smart phone with a decent screen size than a computer.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[Phone Man]

I saw an article a few Months ago and it showed the Tablet out selling the PC. But the PC sales were still going up and selling more each year.

Jim

 

[seavixen32]

Well, I've just ordered a new computer so that's me out of the iPad market for a little while.

I use Photoshop an awful lot and an iPad with a 27-inch screen would be a bit cumbersome to carry around even if I could use Photoshop on it.

That said, I think the iPad is great at what it does, but replacing a PC? No siree, no way.

 

[Boastree]

I saw an article a few Months ago and it showed the Tablet out selling the PC. But the PC sales were still going up and selling more each year.

Jim

Most folks buying an Tablet already have a PC or are in a household that has one. The Tablet is an add on...as it should be.

 

[205tim]

When my laptop dies, I'm thinking I will be adopting a desktop+tablet combination. I was a massive tablet sceptic until mum got a Galaxy Tab, which I have used a bit, me likey.

 

[noobvious]

Yes, a tablet's not a PC replacement at all, but a complimentary device. As much as I would enjoy an iPad, given that I have enjoyed my 4th-gen Touch over this past year, if I was going to buy a tablet I would buy one of the Samsung Galaxy tablets.

Why? Because since I got my Galaxy Player 5.0, I've been freed of the need to convert all my videos, limit what audio files I use, and hey, I can view Flash....lol.
So I would love to have one of the bigger Galaxy devices.

 

[Gornot]

It doesn't really matter if it's the iPad or any other tablet, at least to me. In this day and age, I simply fail to see the purpose of tablet "PCs". With a laptop to carry around, and a smartphone with Wi-fi (for situations where, idk, the lappy's battery dies or you just want to conserve it in case you actually need it for something else before charging it again) I don't see tablets fitting anywhere in between. It's not a phone, but it's not a PC either. It's not useful i.e. unique in its capabilities because there is nothing new to do on them that you can't already do on a lappy and/or a smartphone.
One could say that "it brings the best of both" but somehow I think that's totally far from the truth.

Especially the iPad... Why? It's an oversized iPhone... without a phone! Running the same iOS... I just don't get it. I don't think I can think of any situation where a tablet is better to use instead of either a smartphone or a laptop. Granted, if one chooses to not have a smartphone but just the basic necessities... again, why not use the laptop you're already carrying? Even if you don't have a laptop either it would certainly be cheaper and more useful than a tablet.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
some pretty sensible remarks on this thread

It just goes to show that Whatever GARTNER's says THE OPPOSITE is more likely to happen.

Why people respect that particular organisation so much is beyond me.

If you go back say over the last few years the predictions they got right would be EXACTLY the same as giving a Gorilla a keyboard with only TWO keys on it and asking it to press Right or Wrong on all Gartners predictions.

In fact the Gorilla might even come up with a MORE accurate answer.

Now a PROPER PC that had a DECENT detachable lid unlike what's currently on offer would be a winner -- nothing wrong with a "Tablet like " device in some situations but in others you still need a PC.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[Gornot]

I've heard people saying "tablets are easier to use than laptops", because of the whole internet thing and social networking etc. Um, hello? Look in your pocket! Chances are that you don't need a tablet if you have a smartphone. You especially don't need an iPad if you have an iPhone, that is just, I dare say it, insanely stupid! Retarded even! If it wasn't for the offensively high price, I'd have an iPhone in my pocket years ago and would never bother wasting money on other gadgets like MP3 players and camcorders etc. Yes, I think the iPhone is the gold one out there, despite the vast competition.

Hell, I admit it, if it wasn't for the price I'd choose to use the OS X over Windows any day! But I'm not an Apple fanboy and don't praise Steve Jobs, I don't appreciate Apple's "hardware upgrade" schemes (you all know what I'm talking about) and the fact that the operating system built on UNIX is "close-source" hardware-locked to whatever Apple decides to EPIC-multi-overcharge you.

Still, like I said, it's not just about the iPad, but the whole concept of tablets in general. Ridiculously unnecessary.

 

[chris1neji]

That or any tablet, the only usefulness i see out of it would be velcro+window so i can check my weather.... that's about it

 

[Gornot]

Haha that video is just hilarious xD

 

[pparks1]

As far as tablets are concerned, we are seeing a shift on how people are using computing devices these days. Many of us are power users, who either work with computers for a living, or do gaming at home, or do video and photo editing in our spare time at home. There is a significant portion of the population that doesn't do any of this stuff, and instead they do things like email, facebook, google searches, watch Netflix videos, read Twitter, read ebooks and check the weather.

For people who utilize the web in this manner, the use of tablets is a decent fit. They are smaller than PC's, they are lighter than PC's and they are more portable than PC's.

As somebody else mentioned, lots of people already own PC's and are buying tablets to supplement their PC. That's more or less what I did. I'm not a huge fan of tablets, but I have 2 kids at home (4 and 7) and they use the tablet a lot for taking pictures, taking videos and also watching Netflix and YouTube videos. By using the tablet to stream these videos, I don't have to deal with the fact that my living room TV is tied up by my kids. Rather than putting a TV in their bedrooms, with a device that can stream Netflix videos, they can simply grab the tablet, go lie in their beds and watch their videos. I could actually see myself purchasing another tablet in the next few years so that they could each have a device for watching their own videos. So, if I were to do this, tablets would be outselling computers in my home.

With all that said, I use my tablet to read facebook and check the weather. As far as my forum reading goes, I typically grab the laptop when I come to this site, as typing responses as long as this one would be rather painful and tedious on my tablet.

 

[noobvious]

Yes, a tablet's not a PC replacement at all, but a complimentary device. As much as I would enjoy an iPad, given that I have enjoyed my 4th-gen Touch over this past year, if I was going to buy a tablet I would buy one of the Samsung Galaxy tablets.

Why? Because since I got my Galaxy Player 5.0, I've been freed of the need to convert all my videos, limit what audio files I use, and hey, I can view Flash....lol.
So I would love to have one of the bigger Galaxy devices.

Well, that didn't take long.
I'm close to finding a buyer for my 5-inch Galaxy player, and I'll be ordering a 7-inch Galaxy Tab Plus to replace it. It's not only a screen size upgrade....the Tab has more RAM, a faster dual-core processor, double the internal memory, and Honeycomb vs Gingerbread.

 

[oreo27]

That or any tablet, the only usefulness i see out of it would be velcro+window so i can check my weather.... that's about it

On a more serious note however, It seems pretty cool to use Velcro. It's just that it'll always be stuck to your device