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.
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.
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.