Posted on 06/02/2010 5:18:17 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Steve Jobs’ assertion that personal computers running Microsoft’s Windows operating system are in a permanent decline has been met with surprising agreement.
In an onstage interview at the D: All Things Digital conference on Tuesday night, Mr Jobs, chief executive of Apple, said Windows computers would decline in popularity as people used other means to connect to the internet, consume content and work.
He compared the PC with trucks, saying that the vehicles were pervasive when most people lived on farms, but faded in importance as most of the population moved to cities and suburbs. Some people still want trucks, and a fraction will still want PCs, Mr Jobs said: “One out of every x people.”
Executives and other technology and entertainment companies who heard Mr Jobs speak at the conference appeared to agree, pointing to the rapid spread of smartphones and internet-connected devices, including those made by Apple and Google.
“He is pretty clear about ‘it’s over’, and it is,” said Jeffrey Katzenberg, chief executive of DreamWorks Animation, who added that he himself had stopped using a laptop in favour of an Apple iPad and a BlackBerry, made by Research in Motion.
Mr Jobs cited security issues, poor battery life and difficulty in use as drawbacks to the PC laptop. The iPad has no attached keyboard and is not designed for creating material, but Mr Jobs said the device would evolve.
One senior technology executive at a large movie and television company said that as long as Apple’s operating system for the iPad and iPhone relied on finger-touches, instead of the precision of mouse clicks and cursors, office workers would do detailed work on other devices.
(Excerpt) Read more at ft.com ...
When asked whether the Windows world would eventually wither away, the executive said: “Yes. But it’s going to take a long time.”
Meanwhile, Dan’l Lewin, the Microsoft executive who manages relations with Silicon Valley allies, agreed that many more types of hardware would come into use.
But he noted that a more diverse environment did not mean Microsoft would earn any less money than to date.
Following on Mr Jobs’ transportation analogy, he said: “There are more trucks than there ever were.”
Apple last week eclipsed Microsoft in stock market value, completing a stunning comeback that Mr Jobs described as “surreal”. The company has aimed at consumers and has less than 10 per cent of the overall computer market.
What else would you expect him to say?
I expect him to say this, but my main interest is this -— IS HIS PREDICTION ACCURATE ? If so, why ?
The .NET environment is downright stupid, and is certainly "King of Bloatware".
I am really starting to dispise Microsoft crap.
Ping.
I'm not sure about this prediction, but I remember the kerfuffle caused when Jobs didn't include a diskette reader in the original iMac back in 1998. Now I can't think of the last time I used a diskette, and I have a hard time imagining any file small enough to fit on one! &nbp; ;-)
The year-over-year growth was the highest the laptop market has seen in the last eight years, Gartner said, and buyers spent about $36 billion.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2521486/posts
Wishful thinking is very much alive and kicking.
A product that is about to die, doesn't experience it's highest growth in 8 years, with a massive 71% increase in netbook (which Apple doesn't even make) sales.
Say, haven't I heard Steve Jobs going on about the "demise" of Windows several times over the past 20 years before?
Steve Jobs’ assertion that personal computers running Microsoft’s Windows operating system are in a permanent decline has been met with surprising agreement.
Well, I've known that for a long while ... :-)
I'm not sure about this prediction, but I remember the kerfuffle caused when Jobs didn't include a diskette reader in the original iMac back in 1998. Now I can't think of the last time I used a diskette, and I have a hard time imagining any file small enough to fit on one!
Very true ... and I hadn't used a diskette for about two years prior to that time (when the iMacs first came out). And I got one of those first iMacs, too ... :-)
It is completely within the realm of reason that Windows 7 will be featured in a number of the upcoming digital pads - while RIM, Chrome OS, Android and the iPhone OS fight to gobble up as much of the smartphone market as possible.
Truthfully, I think Android's getting the leg up, with the incorporation of mobile hotspot into the standard Android build. After all, do you want to pay another $25 a month to have your whateverpad connected to the net when you're already paying for your smartphone's dataplan? And what about your wifi Zune or other wifi MP3 player, plus your wifi enabled GPS would really like to download traffic information, etc.
I'm much more on the bleeding edge, as I do have the mobile hotspot on my phone, connected to my laptop and mp3 player, as well as my GPS. I'd say toss in a pad type computer, but really, I can browse the web on my phone, mp3 player and my netbook, why would I need a much more limited and costly touchscreen pad there to be something more to lug around.
I've considered, however, replacing my current netbook with a convertible tablet netbook. Prices keep dropping, so who knows.
Windows 7 is the best desktop/laptop OS on the planet. Period!
And oh..Win 7 sold a staggering 100 MILLION units in just 2 months. That's by far the fastest selling OS in history (desktop, mobile, server, whatever).
I expect him to say this, but my main interest is this -— IS HIS PREDICTION ACCURATE ? If so, why ?
I would say that your answer would come from this quarter ... :-)
Executives and other technology and entertainment companies who heard Mr Jobs speak at the conference appeared to agree, pointing to the rapid spread of smartphones and internet-connected devices, including those made by Apple and Google.
I am shocked only by his honesty —wow..!
In a weird way, it is refreshing to hear non-BS from an executive.
I will keep listening 2 him.
People - including many so-called experts - have been predicting the demise of Windows since Windows was first published.
One day they may in fact be right but the “Windows will end tomorrow” nonsense has become very tiresome.
Silly cumbersome windows have him 155mil so taut they can keep doors open
jokers
Laptop sales up by 43% in Q1, says Gartner (Netbook sales soar by 71%)
IDG News Service - Shipments of laptops rose by 43.4% in the first three months of 2010, compared to the same period last year, according to Gartner Inc. The researcher cited a 71% increase in netbook sales, which it said shouldn't be affected by the arrival of Apple's iPad and other tablets.
The year-over-year growth was the highest the laptop market has seen in the last eight years, Gartner said, and buyers spent about $36 billion.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2521486/posts
One of those “esxoerts” was Steve Jobs, who has been predicting (wishful thinking mre like) the demise of Windows for as long as anyone can remember.
The results is that Windows 7 sold a massive 100 million copies in just 2 months, and there will be more Windows PC’s sold this year than at any other time in history.
Keep building your little toys steve...
I hear lots of people praise Apple and their marketing strategy, and curse MS. I’ve asked if they thought the industry would be better off today if Microsoft had adopted Apple’s strategy from the beginning, perhaps staying partnered with IBM and locking their OS into that hardware. Nobody’s said “Yes” so far.
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