Posted on 04/12/2013 6:36:02 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The PC is in trouble. Big trouble, if you believe research firm IDC's new data, which shows that shipments of PCs plunged 14 percent in the first quarter of this year. That's the sharpest decline in sales of personal computers since the firm started tracking the industry in 1994.
Since the numbers have been released, technology experts and pundits have hypothesized about the causes of the ailing personal computer market. IDC, specifically, cited Windows 8, Microsoft's new computer and tablet operating system, as one of the main reasons people turned away from buying computers.
That's certainly a possibility, but one possibility out of a few others. Here are five possibilities of why the PC business is hurting so badly right now. Feel free to let us know in the comments which one you believe is the biggest contributor to the dying PC.
1. The iPad and other tablets are eating into the PC market.
Post-PC world is right. And Steve Jobs might have been right too -- PCs are like trucks, and tablets are like cars. The late Apple CEO said that PCs were like trucks that were used when the U.S. was an agrarian nation and we needed trucks to get around. Then cars took over. "They're still going to be around, they're still going to have a lot of value, but they're going to be used by one out of X people," Jobs said about PCs.
Many argue that tablets, or more specifically the iPad, have started to fulfill the tasks of those truck PCs. The result is that those tablets are eating into what used to be the PC's lunch.
2. Windows 8 is a confusing, unfamiliar and scary place.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Running Windows 8 and I must say they platform is much more solid than Win 7.
Having a traditional start screen is as easy as a couple of mouse clicks.
My software vendor and others like it in my professional all run under Windows, so I cannot run without it if I want vendor support for my software.
Also running and HP all in one with 23’ screen, core 4 processing and 1 TB disk with 8 gb memory. Machine has been reliable and very solid.
I think, as many here do, that the economy has a lot to do with PC sales.
I’ll stay with my fast HP desktops, and possibly a HP laptop, and Win-7 Pro; no tablets, iPads, smartphones etc hardware, and that Win-8 garbage. JMO.
RE: no tablets, iPads, smartphones etc hardware, and that Win-8 garbage. JMO.
I gather you don’t take your work with you...
No, I don’t. I had identical HP desktops at my Farm business and home for 22yrs; now I’m retired, selling the Farm, live in a condo and have the HPs set-up here. I have an old corp 2006 Nokia clamshell phone that’s just a phone; nothing else. I’ve disabled all texting, web etc.
I’m a dinosaur. Heh. Works for my needs.
Good article from ZD Net Regarding Win 8 and PC sales:
DING DING DING winner!
the ecconomy stinks and there is no reason to buy a new box when the old box can be upgraded for a year of additional use. Make that IT person EARN their money. (unlike that extra one who was let go because he was found playing games and facebooking all day)
Win8 is an unworkable POS.
Classic shell allows the platform to work at least, but you still wander into Win8 oblivion much too often.
MS decided it would force customers to assimilate, or else.
The drop in sales is the “or else” in action. That’s what happens when you tell your customers to drop dead. Something is dropping, that’s for sure.
MS, right back at you... read the numbers and figure out why AND FIX IT.
MS needs to offer a WIN8 patch immediately that restores classic interface to WIN8 computers. MS purposely decided that people would have to learn to do without the classic interface that it considers a “crutch”. What MS doesn’t apparently understand is that to most casual users, that “crutch” was/is the face of Windows.
MS: those sales numbers are your New Coke revelation/warning. Either bring back classic Coke and admit you screwed this one up, or go away.
The main reason, the PCs were bought 3 years ago are still “good enough.”
I don’t own a tablet—Can’t justify the expense.
Like my old car and my old computer.
You’re all wrong. People are spending their disposable income on guns and ammo.
We ship any and all Windows 8 systems with Classic Shell up and running. Makes Win 8 more palatable.
IMO MS needs to accept the fact that they’re not going to win the tablet war. They should stick to making Windows and Office for corporations, which is their strong suit. Also if they could try and make an OS that wouldn’t crash and get viruses that would be nice.
If you are retired who really needs portability? I also prefer the security of a hard wired computer connection.
For the few texts I get I can deal with a simple phone.
I research and buy bigger purchases online. Other than that people can pick up the phone and call me or email.
I’m in the market for a tablet and am considering purchasing a Nook. It is much cheaper than an I-pad and it can access the Internet where there is WiFi. Is this a smart move?
Do you simply plan to surf the web and nothing else? (i.e. do word processing, etc.)
I used to upgrade my computer with every new version of Microsoft Flight Simulator that came out. The last version was in 2006. They just canceled the Microsoft Flight project so I have no reason to upgrade.
And those 3 companies know it. That’s why they are big into selling services (networking, support, cloud, etc.) They’ll be fine.
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