PC shipments fall as customers opt for tablets

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by RainingLemur

I will. I can't see myself doing dedicated gaming on a touch-screen only device. Strategy games are one thing, because there isn't really a need for intricate controls, and they're often times turn-based.

For me, a twitch-shooter NEEDS a mouse and keyboard control set-up and my hack-n-slash types need to put a controller in my hands. I also can't really, in good faith, attempt to play some games (like Mario and Wii sports) with my 4-year-old with a tablet. I know that you're talking some years in the future, but I really don't think that PC and console gaming are going to be going anywhere aside from straight digital distribution and ticking off a lot of gamers who enjoy some type of physical medium.

Sooooo this^

I can't imagine trying to play....let's say Diablo with a tablet.

[covfam]

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

Sooooo this^

I can't imagine trying to play....let's say Diablo with a tablet.

the diablo clone Dungeon Hunter 2 works fabulous with the virtual joystic on the ipad 2 touch screen no it isnt better but its about 90% there in fact its better than most of the othe driablo clone on the pc. give it a few more years and diablo games may be as good or better.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Maybe we'll soon get to the point where a tablet and a desktop ARE the same thing -- dock the tablet into the station and then you've got your bigger monitor and hard keyboard right there, but when you've got to get up and go, yank the tablet and take it with you. That'd work for most of my desktop needs.

For most people, this would be ideal... either with a tablet as the central device, or a smartphone, or a hybrid of both. (Obviously depends on the quality of the docking interface.) You add what you need to the primary device.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Maybe we'll soon get to the point where a tablet and a desktop ARE the same thing -- dock the tablet into the station and then you've got your bigger monitor and hard keyboard right there, but when you've got to get up and go, yank the tablet and take it with you. That'd work for most of my desktop needs.

Outside of the LOTRO addiction, of course.

Motorola has this already for their Atrix smartphone-can definitely see them doing the same with the XOOM. http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/US...la-ATRIX-US-EN

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Maybe we'll soon get to the point where a tablet and a desktop ARE the same thing -- dock the tablet into the station and then you've got your bigger monitor and hard keyboard right there, but when you've got to get up and go, yank the tablet and take it with you. That'd work for most of my desktop needs.

Outside of the LOTRO addiction, of course.

I think that sums it up nicely. It will work for most pc needs, but not all.

And look at the GW2 youtubes out there, you'll be cured of your LOTRO addiction in no time!

[RainingLemur]

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

Sooooo this^

I can't imagine trying to play....let's say Diablo with a tablet.

Sigh... Diablo... How do I love thee?

With the amount of hours I can sink into Diablo 2 (still), I cannot fathom playing it with a touch-screen. Some things may work ok (like the potion belt), but having your various skills/spells/auras/curses hotkeyed...I just don't see how feasible it'd be to cycle through 5+ skills when in the heat of the battle (Uber Tristram....*shudder*) with only a touch screen. Things like that, I NEED the keyboard and the mouse.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by Kris777

Tablet computers such as the iPad are now more popular in Western Europe than desktops, laptops and netbooks



Worldwide shipments of tablet computers are set to top 150m in 2015, according to forecasts by the New York-based ABI Research.

The research firm said on Tuesday that tablet shipments would become "mass market" this year, reaching 50m sales worldwide. According to ABI Research, Apple's iPad accounted for 75% of all tablets shipped around the world in the second quarter of 2011, with 20% sold by manufacturers running Google's Android software.

Full article

What is the most popular Android tablet now, Samsung?

I don't think there is anything like a dominant android tablet. If I were to pick a larger sized one than I have, I would go ASUS transformer. (until something shinier comes out)

[Kris777]

Originally Posted by Phogg

I don't think there is anything like a dominant android tablet. If I were to pick a larger sized one than I have, I would go ASUS transformer. (until something shinier comes out)

I'm thinking about Toshiba thrive but didn' t decide yet

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by RainingLemur

I will. I can't see myself doing dedicated gaming on a touch-screen only device. Strategy games are one thing, because there isn't really a need for intricate controls, and they're often times turn-based.

For me, a twitch-shooter NEEDS a mouse and keyboard control set-up and my hack-n-slash types need to put a controller in my hands. I also can't really, in good faith, attempt to play some games (like Mario and Wii sports) with my 4-year-old with a tablet. I know that you're talking some years in the future, but I really don't think that PC and console gaming are going to be going anywhere aside from straight digital distribution and ticking off a lot of gamers who enjoy some type of physical medium.

Yeah, I love my iPad et al, but a touchscreen alone is not remotely ideal for many game genres. Having some buttons on the back would go a long way, since then at least you're not juggling quite as much between just two thumbs, though it still wouldn't be perfect.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by petermillard

Another reason for the decline in PC sales/shipments could be that people are just hanging onto them longer - you need to be a pretty hard-core gamer to justify upgrading your PC annually these days

Well, not necessarily hard-core gamers. Those tend to focus more on graphics cards and even the most difficult games don't really require the CPU power we currently have at our disposal. Mostly, you'd only see hardware enthusiasts upgrading frequently (I'm guilty of this).

Originally Posted by petermillard

for most people's relatively modest usage most PCs are far and away more than 'good enough'.

I know folks who are still using Pentium III's and those are too slow that it's hard to categorize them as being good enough. On the other hand, for people who have bought a PC in the past 4 years or so (with either Athlon 64 X2 or Core 2-based dual-core or higher CPU), there's not much reason to upgrade. At that point, we've reached a level of CPU performance that's more than fast enough for typical use. That's why netbooks and nettops became popular - they're good enough. Unless their PC breaks down or something, there's no reason for most folks to upgrade.

Originally Posted by petermillard

So by that logic, if you already have a 'good enough' PC or laptop, why upgrade it just because it's a couple of years old? Why not try a tablet instead and see what the fuss is about?

It's not like all PC owners are rushing out to buy tablets. While there are those who are buying iPad's because it's the latest trendy gadget, I think a lot of the people buying tablets are getting them for the balance of functionality and mobility they provide.

I've gotta say, though, Apple did very well on their first try (hmm, is it their first try with a tablet?). I've owned a couple of tablets before the iPad and all of them were darned heavy, bulky, expensive, ran hot and had short battery life.

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

I've gotta say, though, Apple did very well on their first try (hmm, is it their first try with a tablet?). I've owned a couple of tablets before the iPad and all of them were darned heavy, bulky, expensive, ran hot and had short battery life.

Depends on how you would classify a Newton:

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by Dylrob

Depends on how you would classify a Newton

That, I consider to be a failed iteration of the iPhone.

[Andrew H.]

I think it's important to keep in mind that a lot of PC growth in the past several years has come from netbooks, and that to the extent the iPad is cutting into PC sales, it is specifically cutting into netbook sales.

The netbook's niche, for the vast majority of netbook users, was as the *second* computer. These people already had a (presumably) more capable laptop or desktop at home, but bought the netbook because it was more convenient to carry around for internet surfing and e-mail. More convenient because it was smaller, lighter, and could often be used for several hours without having to be plugged in.

Tablets (or at least iPads) seem to be taking over this "second computer" role; they are not replacing the primary PC. They are much smaller and lighter than netbooks, and the battery life (at least for the iPad) is much better. They are also better than a netbook in other ways - they are much better as an e-reader, or to use in bed, or while standing up. They also tend to have a more powerful gpu.

The downside, of course, is that they are not as powerful as a netbook and can't run most standard computer programs. In practice, this doesn't seem to be much of an inconvenience for most people.

I haven't really seen any evidence that tablets are replacing primary PCs. They do seem to be replacing second PCs, particularly for those people who would have otherwise bought a netbook.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

They are much smaller and lighter than netbooks, and the battery life (at least for the iPad) is much better.

I agree with your other points, but think it's worth noting that modern netbook battery life is up beyond the 10 hour mark now.

Also, tablets are thinner, of course, but not noticeably smaller in the dimensions that matter for portability.

The key difference is weight, with the netbook between half as much again and double the weight. However, this becomes less significant if you habitually carry a portable keyboard as well as your tablet, and also includes the protection that the clamshell provides for your screen.

EDIT: I'm talking about 10" tablets here, of course. 7" tablets are much smaller, which is why I think they'll eventually prove themselves in the market.

Graham

[JD Gumby]

Originally Posted by Graham

I agree with your other points, but think it's worth noting that modern netbook battery life is up beyond the 10 hour mark now.

It'd be nice if tablets in general could get that high, especially those in the netbook price range (so mostly 7" and sub-$400; I see netbooks have gotten a lot more expensive lately - last time I'd priced them, they averaged $300).