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The PC is dead? (according to Fox News)

Discussion in 'Techno-Magic' started by hannibal555, Jan 13, 2011.

  1. hannibal555 Gems: 9/31
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    http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/01/11/pc-is-dead-ces-tablets-smartphone/

    I'm a bit curious.
    Is this the general consensus in the USA or is it just some weird opinion
    of the author?

    If this is true I'm a dinosaur who will cherish his PC for years to come :).


    edit:
    Now I realize, we have a more fitting subforum here (Techno-Magic), my mistake :doh:.
    It should be moved there eventually.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2011
  2. joacqin

    joacqin Confused Jerk Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    I like to have a dedicated space for gaming and I think it will be a long time before laptops can be as cost efficient as desk tops when it comes to performance.
     
  3. Aldeth the Foppish Idiot

    Aldeth the Foppish Idiot Armed with My Mallet O' Thinking Veteran

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    I think the point the author is making is that desktop PCs are no longer considered something to feature at a tech show. They have become as commonplace in homes as toasters. There's just nothing exciting about having one anymore, but pretty much everyone does (just like toasters). And to further drive home that the desktop PC isn't dead, what does almost every white-collar worker have on his desk at work?
     
  4. Baronius

    Baronius Mental harmony dispels the darkness ★ SPS Account Holder Veteran

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    The statement "the PC is dead" or anything similar is false. More accurately, however, it is true that for many functions, smartphones are completely fine nowadays and they substitute for PCs.

    Where PC (or good notebook with external monitor) is still needed:
    1. For tasks that need high performance (gaming, graphics, etc.)
    2. For tasks that need productivity or ergonomics (e.g. a big monitor is really needed in many cases)
    3. For other stuff (e.g. for those in certain IT fields)

    Related hint:
    If you want to use your always-with-you notebook as a PC:

    high-end notebook + external fullHD monitor + external keyboard & mouse
    (this is what I do, even though I have a PC too)

    Silent, integrated, and requires little space.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2011
  5. koliva Gems: 2/31
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    Yes, it's totally true. Dell, HP, Lenovo, Alienware, Asus, MSI are all on the verge of bankruptcy because of lack of sales. Professional Quake players from around the world have switched to consoles en masse, citing the gamepad's overwhelming superiority as an input device when compared to the mouse and keyboard. And IBM has recently announced the construction of a new supercomputer from iPads and Android phones.

    Sarcasm aside, the article's title is a huge overstatement.
     
    NOG (No Other Gods) likes this.
  6. hannibal555 Gems: 9/31
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    Exactly.
    With the exception maybe that some argue, PC gaming is obsolete due to gaming consoles.

    Anyway I've heard such sentiments before, that the PC has no future, since
    smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles and so on are getting every closer to the performance of a standard PC.
    Maybe it is even insufficient to draw such conclusions or to make a difference in the first place, since essentially all these devices are computer, too, driven by a CPU, processing data in some form of RAM and storing data in
    some form of hard disk or flash drive.

    Thinking about it, in the future, when there might be no significant difference in power of a smartphone to a bulky PC, if you can get a big screen connected as well as an ergonomic keyboard/mouse, there might be even no difference anymore.

    But as of now I don't see where other devices could replace the PC in such fields as Baronius mentioned.

    I for one need the luxury of a big screen and an ergonomic keyboard/mouse. Smaller isn't always better.
     
  7. Darion

    Darion Resident Dissident Veteran BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    Really! How droll of them!

    They day FoxNews makes actual news will be the end of mankind...not just the pc-
     
  8. Morgoth

    Morgoth La lune ne garde aucune rancune Veteran

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    I use a laptop for programming nowadays. Doesn't need to be a problem with ergonomics since you can hook up a large monitor, a keyboard and a mouse. I only use a PC for gaming.
     
  9. NOG (No Other Gods)

    NOG (No Other Gods) Going to church doesn't make you a Christian

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    In my line of work, there's no way that a smartphone could take the place of a desktop. In my prime hobby, too. Not even a console could. Mind you, the console has carved out it's own sizable gaming niche, at which it is honestly better than the PC, but I have yet to see a good RTS or tactical real time RPG on the console*.

    *Yes, DA:O was on consoles, but they had to reduce the number and/or difficulty of enemies (not sure which) because of the reduction of tactical gameplay ability.
     
  10. Ragusa

    Ragusa Eternal Halfling Paladin Veteran

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    Reports of the computer's death are vastly exaggerated.

    That said, it may lose market share to consoles as dedicated gaming platforms; as far as big titles go cross platform games have become the rule (if only for the simple reason to maximise sales). As a dyed in the wool PC core gamer I don't think that will necessarily be an improvement (IMO consoles have greatly fubared game interfaces and inventories - about the earliest and among the worst examples for that trend is Deus Ex 2).

    Pads and netbooks, let alone smart phones, while nice and shiny still are far too underpowered for even serious office work, display size is also utterly insufficient. Try it yourself. Pads and smart phones will taker over some of the communication and browsing functions the computer currently has. But still, all these gizmos can only augment but not replace the computer.
     
  11. NOG (No Other Gods)

    NOG (No Other Gods) Going to church doesn't make you a Christian

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    I'm also wondering how many people actually watch things like Netflix, Youtube, or other online video streaming services on those things. I mean, I realize I'm no representative of the normal, but I like to actually see what's happening when I watch those things. If I didn't need to, I'd be listening to audio, not watching a streaming service.
     
  12. Gaear

    Gaear ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful

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    They watch them a lot in commercials, mainly. ;)

    I agree that the screen size of most smart phones for use in those areas is utterly insufficient. Even something so simple as browsing the BoM on a phone display can be plain torturous. What was initially a recreational endeavor becomes a frustrating labor of futility and irritation. You end up using your smart phone for online stuff only if you have to, not because you want to.
     
  13. Cap'n CJ

    Cap'n CJ Arrr! Veteran

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    On BBC news this morning they claimed that "the majority of consumers have stopped using their PC in favour of an iPad". Totally ridiculous.
     
  14. Marceror

    Marceror Chaos Shall Be Sown In Their Footsteps Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    I'll be brief in this one. Some good comments made already. Mine is simply, the PC = NOT dead.
     
  15. Munchkin Blender Gems: 22/31
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    Not true about everyone having a desktop at work. Most companies are now switching from desktop to laptops. I know at my job they are trying to get my full team on laptops.
     
  16. Marceror

    Marceror Chaos Shall Be Sown In Their Footsteps Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    It depends on the kind of work you do, your level of seniority, company security policies, and a whole bunch of other stuff to determine whether a laptop or desktop is a better choice.

    I do see a trend toward laptops over desktops in the corporate world for appropriate job functions. Remote work force options are becoming more prevalent, where an individual works from home for some percentage of the time and where a laptop is pretty much the only sensible choice. As companies have trended toward doing more with less, providing laptops allow employees to get work done when they are not in the office and increases overall productivity. This approach is usually reserved for salaried employees who are established in their career paths, in my experience.

    For your call-center type roles, clerical roles, etc, a desktop is much more the norm and generally more appropriate. In my experience, large organizations tend to have a much larger ratio of desktops to laptops, and even with some recent trending toward laptops, I don't see this changing anytime soon.
     
    Rotku likes this.
  17. Erod Gems: 14/31
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    The article is right in that the desktop computer market share is almost certainly going to decrease as will the units sold. To call it dead in 2011 is a bit premature though.
     
  18. Blades of Vanatar

    Blades of Vanatar Vanatar will rise again Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Well, I haven't had a desktop in front of me at work for a few years now. Our entire company uses laptops, Dell to be exact. We have monitors if you like, I use two in fact, as my job requires alot of real-time action and research. Most work from their Laptops/Notebooks though.
     
  19. Aldeth the Foppish Idiot

    Aldeth the Foppish Idiot Armed with My Mallet O' Thinking Veteran

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    I guess I'm the unusual one then (no snide remarks please). In every company I've worked for, we use desktops. Then again, we do have software on our computers that allows us to access them remotely. None of the classified stuff can be, but I can read e-mail and get to not classified files from my home computer.
     
  20. Munchkin Blender Gems: 22/31
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    The article was about people becoming less dependent on computers for their digital information. With the increase usage of cell phones / Smartphones for email, internet, gaming, and other digital content computers are becoming dated for consumer users on average; business use I see computers having staying power for quite some time.
     
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