Posted on 09/19/2011 1:14:17 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
THE PC ISN'T DEAD YET despite forecasts to the contrary, Dell founder and CEO Michael Dell told the Financial Times this week.
This statement comes after analysts cut their PC sales forecasts earlier this month, with Gartner slashing its forecast for PC sales growth this year to just 3.8 per cent or a total of 352 million units.
Dell told the FT, "There are a billion and a half PCs in the world and while Gartner change their estimates here and there, they also estimate there will be two billion PCs in the world by 2014. So when I look at that, I think the idea that the PC is no longer here is complete nonsense."
He added, "You see PCs, tablets, you see smartphones. But those other devices aren't necessarily replacing the PCs, so we are very committed to that part of the business, as part of this broader, end-to-end IT solutions company."
Dell predicts that PC growth will come mainly from emerging markets, such as China. "Around 60 per cent of the Chinese internet runs on Dell," he added.
Dell hinted that his firm is still aiming to compete in the tablet market despite limited sales of its Streak device, saying the company is "very much in line" with Microsoft's plans to overhaul its Windows software so that it works better for tablets.
"The line that separates a tablet and a laptop today will get very blurry and ultimately disappear as you see many new products," he said.
Last month, The INQUIRER's readers agreed that the PC isn't dead after an IBM executive claimed the contrary.
IBM Middle East and Africa CTO Mark Dean's comments that we have "moved beyond" the PC era were made on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the IBM Personal Computer, but we'll note that IBM no longer makes PCs, having sold off that business to Lenovo several years ago. µ
Ironicly, it wasn't that long ago (the 1980s) that PCs of any type were considered to be "toy" computers.
The PC isn't dying, but other devices are being born. And "devices" is the right word. There won't be a replacement of the PC, rather there are literally thousands (not hundreds, but thousands) of devices that are springing up that will live along side the PC.
Pads, cell phones, GPS's, cars, televisions, alarm systems, cash registers, packgage scanners, and game machines are just a start. We're entering the age when special purpose computers will be everywhere.
I'm waiting on a refrigerator that will have a touch panel on the door that will let you make your grocery list and let you transmit it to the grocery, print your (and your kid's) itinerary for the day, have a video chat with someone, or play music while you're fixing supper.
My TV is a computer. It has Linux as the OS built into the TV. Why do I need a PC to watch content on the internet when my TV already does that?
Game machines like the XBOX will a lot of PC functions. There's a reason Microsoft purchased Skype. Communications between devices is the key. A Skype enabled XBOX is now able to communicate with any other Skype enabled device.
The PC isn't dead, but instead of being THE personal computing device, it will be just one of many everyone owns. Ironicly, most people probably won't even recognize most computing devices for what they are: computers. Instead they'll just be the TV, cell phone, DVR, GPS, refrigerator, car radio, alarm system, music player, or game console.
Ten years ago NO ONE said the PC was dead - because it wasn’t...
Give me a desktop any day. Big screen and regular sized keyboard.
My son’s Dell dies last night. It’s two years, three months old.
Umbrella?
That is so last... /S
LOL
I think you can have a strategy that involves the use of many devices as tools suitable for various jobs.
On the telecom side of our business Laptops are deployed for our employees and they get smartphones.
On the Construction side we use blackberries, simple phones and laptops. Experimenting with a tablet to see what we can and cannot do with it.
On the REO management side I just came up with this idea to reduce our field expense and automate some reporting functions.
I am the guinea pig.
I don’t feel we need a full size laptop that is $800+ per copy.
We just to store and forward folders with anywhere between 5 and 75 meg.
Back at the farm different story. Storage Arrays, hot swapable, Servers, etc.
Just the right tools for different jobs.
The sound quality of vinyl is much better than on CDs. A person with an extensive collection of vinyl is sitting on a lot of money.
“Pepsi Cola is dead,” said the Coke salesman.
I got a couple of pretty cool cd’s from a guy at moneymusic.com that lists the value of literally millions of records. I have multiple copies of a few records with different labels on the records. His list even catches that and values accordingly.
Not that I bought them to sell, but it is awfully interesting.
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