[jeffc]

People want cheaper, smaller and they want to replace them more often. Very few PC users, except gamers, want to chase upgrades.

As a gamer and one who does a lot of side work for people on their home PC's and networks, I could not agree LESS!

People do not like replacing and/or upgrading. It's all a big headache to them. They're always complaining about how now they'll have to re-learn everything all over again. Every time MS comes out with a new OS or version of Office, many, many things are relocated and it is a big headache not just finding what folder an app has been relocated to, but the interface for it has changed (Defrag, anyone?).

As to gaming, I can't wait for consoles to be able to do simulation-style games. It's way cheaper than any PC as you can connect wireless to your LAN and get on the internet with a USB mouse and KB). Every game that comes out requires more powerful CPU/GPU combinations than the last iteration of the game, but will run on a 2005 XBOX 360. Go figure.

[SJSAMPLE]

I'm not sure you understood me, especially the second sentence:

Very few PC users, except gamers, want to chase upgrades

Sure, nobody wants to have buy a new machine, but they prefer it over upgrades and the increases in processor, memory and storage have consistently driven these purchases. Moving data and reconfiguring has become much, MUCH more simple since USB came along.

I ditched my PC-gaming for consoles and haven't looked back, except for CandC and other simulation and strategy games.