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Global PC units in the first quarter fell by 14%. Will PCs soon be obsolete?

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Everything becomes obsolete eventually.

true, eventually not 'soon.'

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Windows 8 OS (touchscreen based) was probably the death knell of the dinosaur PC.

***Most if not all tablets do not function as cellphones (data only). I assumed an iPad, iPad Mini could be directly used as a phone, but you need to use Skype etc on a data network. Best option for large cellphone is still the Galaxy Note 2 at 5.5", and others at 5" (4S etc)

1 ( +1 / -0 )

As a graphic artist in my spare time I value the power of a big processor, plenty of RAM and a nice big screen for my renders. I have more control over my art with a larger screen and a stylus or mouse than poking and prodding at a smallish screen. For me tablets are a fun gadget, portable and an extension of your mobile... but I prefer the monster sitting on the desk.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The PC will not be go away for a long time with bigger amount of data that is being accumulated you need the CPU power to digest the numbers to obtain workable information out of them. The spread sheet is becoming ever larger every year for marketing personnel to process.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

My iPad is an extension of my iMac.

Whereas my iMac will not fit in an attache case, my iPad will.

It's really useful in the classroom, for personal study, for games to kill the time and to give me access to what's on my iMac at home.

But it will never replace my main computer.

It's an extension of it that I can carry with me.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Can anyone explain why the NO answers outnumber the YES?

Yes, it's simple. Go to the "back-offices" of any police department, school, retail outlet and you'll a multitude of PC workstations. And that's the way it will stay for a long time to come. What we are seeing is just an extending of the useful life of the PC.

Among the reasons is security. Wireless, tablet-type devices are good for public-facing operations, but very inefficient and a security nightmare for back-office operations.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Jurassic PCs will live forever and WinXP (a cheap clone of Win2000) is still the best OS ever. Why upgrade?

And those tablets and cellphones need cases to protect them. =>No Jurassic PC user will ever pay for that when they can get a perfectly good Jurassic PC in the trash for free. Long live the Jurassic PC.

And I know quite a few people that still run Win95, Win98, WinMe (questionable) --> and are perfectly happy with it. The Radio Shack TSR*80 (Trash 80) was way ahead of its time and still works. And the Timex Sinclair was one hell of a workhorse computer for $50 also. = Lots of good Jurassic PCs out there if you only look and many are even free (or they may even pay you to take them away)

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I think serious gamers would be very sad if the PC were to vanish. The ability to upgrade a PC makes it a great gaming platform.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

No, PCs are here to stay for now, there are plenty of things you can only do on a PC and many more that can be done far faster on a PC than any other device. It is natural though that for some tasks a PC is unnecessarily powerful and a tablet or smartphone will suffice, so that has drawn off part of the market.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

i think there's still a market for PC's in office environments as well as education institutes and so on. however i think laptops and tablets will replace PC's as ones home computing device...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

depends on what "soon" means. PCs in a commercial form have been around more or less since 1975. Will they be obsolete in another 40 years or so? I can see a new graphical UI with another more efficient input UI being on the market within 40 yrs. I'd say yes. I can't write code on a tablet like I can on my laptop for example. They may still be around but I won't "need" one to do my day to day SW computer tasks like I do now.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Not a chance, I work in a pharmacy and we need our desktops processing power. Now when tablets can do the work of the constantly advancing PC (which still has use in CGI, graphics design, programming, etc does the term workstation ring a bell?) then I can see it happening. But as of now, the tablets are only for those who do really really light computer work like surfing the net, playing games, email, FB and chat. Not for programmers, architects, graphic designers, scientists, engineers etc.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Not in the near future, businesses still need them. With the global recession, they aren't replacing them as fast and currently there isn't anything new to make a change. The features of windows 8 doesn't benefit business, just makes tablet convertible more palatable. If Microsoft can make something really special or some new software can grab attention, things may change. Still waiting for a computer you can talk, siri and the android copy are too proprietary. Better yet, I want one like Chi in Chobits. Robot makers of Japan, where are they? Will that kill the PC or just change their form?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Can anyone explain why the NO answers outnumber the YES? Students in the USA as well as other countries use hand-held to communicate and on-line courses. The police have laptops in the cars. The local grocery stores use tablets to sign people up for discounts. Good-by to the desk PC.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I use PC's for heavy computational work, I have large rigs running 4 CPUs computing immense amounts of data. I don't see any tablet doing that. PC's will never, ever be obsolete. But those people who do not need a desktop PC will be better of with a tablet. But only those people.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

C Harald Hansen Apr. 17, 2013 - 04:29AM JST I don't see any tablet doing that. PC's will never, ever be obsolete.

The smartphones are getting more and more complex, and doing more jobs. The current smartphone with docking stations can probably already replace 50% of PCs, as all they do is email and web surfing on a bigger screen. At the moment the tech is still benefiting from higher speed and bigger batteries, so phones aren't getting smaller, they're getting more capable. But it won't be long until there's enough computer power and memory in a mid-range smartphone to replace all but the most hard-worked of PCs.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Every time I see some fool balancing his laptop or tablet on his knees while trying to type, I have to laugh. Good luck getting any work done that way! Tablets and handhelds have different uses for different purposes. The PC serves its own purpose. I'm not getting rid of my PC anytime soon...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Tablets and smart phones are great for web browsing, but when it comes to getting some work done, then the PC still rules. Mind you, with touch screens and Windows 8 I think PCs are evolving to become more tablet-like,

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Jurassic PCs will live forever and WinXP (a cheap clone of Win2000) is still the best OS ever. Why upgrade?

Because on a Jurassic PC, you can only do Jurassic work. Try editing some HD video on a 10yr old computer with Celeron processor and 256MB of RAM running XP and tell me how far you get.

If all you do on your computer is browse the net and use Microsoft Office though, then yes, there is no real need to upgrade.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

No, not for a long time.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

PC they way they do everything now at home will now change for sometime. As homes become even more connected, I see more PCs finding their way into homes to run the home.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Are radios obsolete? Do people still go to the movies? Is television obsolete? BTW, aren't PCs where apps are written for Android and iphones.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Many people who bought PCs didn't need all the functions of a computer. They only wanted to check email and do some light surfing.

Then the iPad came along. The iPad could do this and much, more. But it was enough for many people.

And, of course, it disrupted the market.

It doesn't mean that people don't need PCs though.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

PC companies are producing new computers faster than the demand for them and virtually flooding the market. They are their own worst enemy! However, I am pretty sure this statistic will change when MS drops support for XP later this year. Many companies will have no choice than to upgrade.

Personally, I use Macs and don't give a fat rat's. :D

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

In the future homes, tablets will become the new PCs, or rather, PCs will take the form of tablets.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

PC sales are down, partly because of the iPad and iPhone taking over some of the functions of a pc or laptop and partly because of Microsoft's highly unpopular Vista 2.0, sorry, Windows 8. And also because Linux will run on older pcs, giving them a new lease of life.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Everything becomes obsolete eventually.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

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