Posted on 09/19/2011 1:14:17 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
I still use a desktop at home. Yeah, we have a couple of laptops at home and it’s all my wife uses, but I consider the desktop the “real” computer. It’s just a LOT more efficient when I sit down to it. It doesn’t compromise for portability. Big screen, natural keyboard, speakers placed where I want them, etc.
And I can upgrade fairly cheaply and simply. By the time I actually dump a motherboard, I’ve upgraded for many years.
No, but the desktop personal computer is becoming a special-purpose device, for office desktops and similar uses. It will hang on in the consumer space a while longer for gamers, but probably not for more than another 10 years.
It will likely be supplanted by phones, tablets, ultralight laptops, game consoles and special purpose entertainment machines.
Don’t know about PCs. Very few in my company have other than laptops. I was just issued a new Dell E6510 - with ss memory, etc. I really don’t know how they could have made it any heavier save for making everything out of pure lead. Even with Windows 7, it’s merely an OK machine, and not even close to my MacBook or the wife’s IMAC.
However, the company is also considering issuing many of us IPADs to deal with more of the day to day work (since here, we do a lot of classified stuff on PCs), and find little if any use for Windows based laptops.
The demand for the IPADs has been overwhelming - since even though we’re tech geeks, few - if any - of us really want another Windows based machine.
Windows 8 will render all user computers as User Interface Machines removing all meaning full work to the back-end.
Big brother will then define privacy
From the Inquirer article linked:
“He claimed,”while PCs will continue to be much-used devices, they’re no longer at the leading edge of computing” and are going the way of the vacuum tube, typewriter, vinyl records, CRT and incandescent light bulbs.”
I bought almost 1,000 vinyl LP’s in the last year. And vacuum tube electronics for both musicians and home hi-fi STILL command top dollar.
Heck, I had to get a walkman cassette player to connect to the auxiliary input jack in my car stereo to play all the cassette tapes I’ve been acquiring lately.
Viva la SPARC!
They’ve already said Windows 8 will have a “classic” mode that’s the same old UI they’ve been dragging around since 95. At least on real computers. The tablet interface will be available for the six people in the world that have touch screen attached to their computer.
—The demand for the IPADs has been overwhelming - since even though we’re tech geeks, few - if any - of us really want another Windows based machine.—
A friend of mine has been an Apple geek for as long as I’ve known him. ‘Course, he’s pretty level headed about it. He says for him it is clearly the best way to go since he is a graphics designer.
A few months ago his company gave him an iPad to use. He was quite excited. However, he now says he’s not really impressed with it. He says it’s cool for games, but he really doesn’t have much use for it.
The main problem: It’s really no more portable than a laptop and doesn’t have a keyboard. For stuff that doesn’t need a keyboard, fine, but if he needs to type, it’s not much better than a smartphone. This is only anecdotal, of course.
If it’s rewritten.
http://www.extremetech.com/computing/96507-the-end-of-wintel-windows-8-arm-will-not-run-x86-software
I just got back from traveling for the first time with an iPad. Light weight and the ability to temporarily replace my ATT chip for a local AIS chip made it the best experience. You can use a regular keyboard and wireless printing. I’m a believer after nothing but PCs before.
from what I’ve seen of Windows 8.. I don’t like it.. no start menu, no lists.. just tablet/icon menus like an iPAD.
I would be absolutely horrid in a work environment. Touch screens ..etc...
Data work at corporations require a keyboard and leaning forward to touch the screen would really slow down the production.
Yet there are some of us using x86 chips where a Windows OS has never run. I'm among the tiny minority where my Intel platforms run either Linux or FreeBSD.
The heavy lifting here at the home office is done with Solaris 9 on an aging but still solid SPARC Ultra box. It's been running without a whimper since 2001 and has been down just once when the UPS turned if off when the remnants of Hurricane Rita dropped power for a prolonged period.
Read it in whole sentences: Windows 8 tablets will not run on intel processors. Window 8 the OS will have a non-tablet, runs on x86 version. The “problem” that article is discussing is that software written for the x86 version of 8 won’t run on the ARM tablet version of 8. I put the problem part in quotes because tablets have much less computing power, RAM and storage than PCs and anybody with any expectations that the PC version of most apps would even fit much less on on the tablets is not thinking things through.
“The main problem: It’s really no more portable than a laptop and doesn’t have a keyboard. For stuff that doesn’t need a keyboard, fine, but if he needs to type, it’s not much better than a smartphone. This is only anecdotal, of course.”
He’s right. For some stuff, it rocks. For some stuff - don’t bother.
I have both at home. If I want portability, I have the laptop, with a wireless keyboard and mouse. But the majority of my work is done on a desktop. In fact, I just built my desktop in the spring after retiring a laptop.
had a chance pick up a tablet last week.
Went with a note book.
Has VGA and HDMI so I can hook it up to a monitor when at home or office.
Tactile feel of keyboard was huge issue for me.
Cost 1/2 the price of a tablet.
For business, does what we need.
Also had a HDD of 320 Gig.
The work we perform can fill up a HDD in less than a year before we backup and offload for storage.
exactly. Laptops and PCs are workhorses.
You cannot beat them for functionality and capability.
IPad, steak, netbooks w/ touch, etc. is a consumer device.
Great for watching youtube but not so great for spreadsheet editing or other office work.
There will be a place for all of the above, and Dell is right that the PC is no more dead than the automobile or the umbrella.
Of course. I am graphic artist, web master and edit HD video on a desktop. I couldn't do that on my kid's iPad.
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