PC sales Suffer Biggest Slump in years

[jersysman]

I feel that it has a lot to do with Windows 8. It hasn't been accepted by the masses of yet. Since most of the new PCs come with Windows 8 installed, PC users are standing pat with their Win 7 configs.

Also, for the most part there is no compelling reason to upgrade a functional PC. There has been no major chip upgrades, no major video upgrades. Those were the reasons in the past for upgrading PCs.

[Sydney's Mom]

I just bought a Lenova Yoga, and I am in love with Windows 8. The reason I went with a full computer is for work --I remote into my desktop at work (yes, I picked a desktop over a laptop, because I found bitlocker to be more trouble than it is worth, and it kept screwing up my hard drive). Even the Surface, which my husband has, doesn't work, because I need a hard keyboard (for my lap, my knees, etc.) We thought our desktop was done, and we were not going to replace it (we have one of those cube ones), but it turns out it was just static, and it is running fine. And I am doing my taxes on it, and no I am not done. Worked about 15 hours last weekend, and just have to proof it this weekend. And write the check

But after work, I fold my Yoga up like a tablet to read personal email, play games, etc. I also have a Samsung 10.1 Galaxy Tab, and Kindle Fires in both sizes. I use the big KF most often, cause I can read on it after I play games. But I was able to put a 64G mini SD in my Tab, and even though the Tab doesn't recognize the card, it plays all the movies I have loaded on it.

Yes, I am a gadget freak. But, I gave up my smartphone (never used it, always use my blackberry, which has camera and tweeting and games disabled. So it isn't really smart)

Originally Posted by wizwor

In other news, cathode ray tube sales continue to decline.

There is a bit of a difference between CRT vs. LCD and computer vs. tablet. LCDs are a functional replacement for CRTs. One can be replaced by the other without altering what you can do with your computer. Tablets are not a functional replacement for computers. The hardware, system software, and application software all impose too many restrictions.

Writing is a good example of the limitations of tablets. You need a keyboard if you're going to do much writing, which means buying docking keyboard or buying a bluetooth keyboard plus a stand. If you're doing a lot of writing and you're writing in different places, carrying around and setting up that extra hardware defeats the purpose of having a tablet. Even though tablets negate the need for printing in many circumstances, it doesn't negate it completely. Unfortunately, the system and application software found on most tablets has very limited support for printers. Being able to print from your favourite printer usually involves using a computer. The maturity of word processing applications also leaves a lot to be desired. They may get the job done for simple tasks, but most (if not all) of the word processors lack features that are necessary for basic productivity in the office.

Now a lot of people can get away with just using a tablet. Most of the rest will be able to function with tablets once the software matures. (Let's face it, a tablet is a computer. They have a processor and memory to do the number crunching, as well as integrated input and output devices. Most, if not all, tablets support Wi-Fi networking and USB host mode in order to expand their capabilities beyond a standalone appliance. Heck, most of them run stripped down versions of Unix that can be replaced with full featured versions of Unix if the user desires.) But most of the rest doesn't mean everyone. I don't foresee tablet operating systems aspiring to be feature complete because limited functionality, more commonly referred to as ease of use, is attractive to the people who are interested in tablets. Tablets are also going to be behind the times in terms of performance, simply because higher performance machines tend to be larger and require more power.

Tablets may be the future, but they aren't going to replace computers in the way that LCDs replaced CRTs.

[wizwor]

I can certainly see a day when tablet or phone form computers are the center of the personal computing experience. With the maturation of the personal area network, there's no reason to believe a bluetooth enabled computer could not automatically pair with nearby peripherals so that my portable computer outputs to nearby displays, accepts input from local keyboards and mice, and logs onto designated networks. This is not science fiction. No reason why a touch screen could not be so paired.

I suspect this is the vision for the surface devices.

[John Carroll]

Between writing, making covers and gaming, I still like my desktop. I'm super old though.

[jersysman]

I am desktop all the way, plus tablet, plus phone. Why can't I have it all?!?!!

In fact, I'm going to go and buy me a new desktop so that I can improve those numbers.

[joblack]

No wonder.

Windows 8 is the worst Windows since Windows Millennium.

[taustin]

Originally Posted by joblack

No wonder.

Windows 8 is the worst Windows since Windows Millennium.

It is arguably worse than Microsoft Bob.

[OtterBooks]

I think one contributing factor to this trend is the fact that full powered desktop and laptop computers have begun to level-off with regard to advances in processing power and design, hence they are not being replaced as frequently.

Mobile electronics are in their growth spurt, with relatively dramatic changes in design and technology occurring every six to nine months. A smartphone can begin looking inadequate compared to new models months after purchase, and after 2 years downright obsolete, both technologically and by the fashion/status influenced standards of mobile leisure electronics. Toss in contract subsidization every two years in many regions, and you don't need to wonder why there's such a big turnover rate for mobile devices.

Meanwhile recent generations of Intel's consumer cpus are coming out with incremental power increases of 5-7%; gone are the days of Moore's Trend. A solid desktop rig can hold its own for 5 years with very little new-tech envy. Laptops maybe a bit less, but you get the idea.

[Ninjalawyer]

Originally Posted by OtterBooks

Meanwhile recent generations of Intel's consumer cpus are coming out with incremental power increases of 5-7%; gone are the days of Moore's Trend. A solid desktop rig can hold its own for 5 years with very little new-tech envy. Laptops maybe a bit less, but you get the idea.

I don't really disagree with your post, but Moore's Law is still alive and well. While consumer CPUs aren't seeing the huge bumps, they never really did; it has always been incremental changes in that space. Most consumers simply aren't interested in the top-end of desktop performance, let alone the top-end of what silicon can do generally. Now, if you're doing video editing or serious gaming and willing to buy a $1,000 video card, you'll see that the changes aren't as minor as the experience of the average consumer would suggest.

[OtterBooks]

Originally Posted by Ninjalawyer

I don't really disagree with your post, but Moore's Law is still alive and well. While consumer CPUs aren't seeing the huge bumps, they never really did; it has always been incremental changes in that space. Most consumers simply aren't interested in the top-end of desktop performance, let alone the top-end of what silicon can do generally. Now, if you're doing video editing or serious gaming and willing to buy a $1,000 video card, you'll see that the changes aren't as minor as the experience of the average consumer would suggest.

I'm not quite up to date on really high-end computing tech such as the stuff used for scientific research and so forth, but even enthusiast gamers are finding themselves requiring less frequent tech upgrades. A mid-high end CPU even a few generations old provides enough grunt to run demanding games. GPUs are still progressing along nicely, but even there the progress hasn't been so impressive (though power efficiency has improved quite a bit). Nvidia's $1k Titan (a boutique item more geared towards professional use) has maybe 25% more processing power than a $500 card, which itself is more than plenty to provide a good gaming experience for several years (as will a $300 gpu for that matter).

[taustin]

Originally Posted by OtterBooks

Meanwhile recent generations of Intel's consumer cpus are coming out with incremental power increases of 5-7%; gone are the days of Moore's Trend. A solid desktop rig can hold its own for 5 years with very little new-tech envy. Laptops maybe a bit less, but you get the idea.

That's a little deceptive. Five years ago, a dual core processor was new and exciting (in the desktop market, at least). Now, quad core is pretty much standard outside of the bargain bin market. Processor speeds aren't going up much, but number of processors is.

(It's less noticable to the consumer, because programming for effective use of multiple processors is much harder, and pointless for most consumer software other than games, so your basic point is valid, but Moore's Law is still actually more or less on track in terms of total processing power.)

[OtterBooks]

Originally Posted by taustin

That's a little deceptive. Five years ago, a dual core processor was new and exciting (in the desktop market, at least). Now, quad core is pretty much standard outside of the bargain bin market. Processor speeds aren't going up much, but number of processors is.

(It's less noticable to the consumer, because programming for effective use of multiple processors is much harder, and pointless for most consumer software other than games, so your basic point is valid, but Moore's Law is still actually more or less on track in terms of total processing power.)

True, but consumer software, including games, has still been slow in taking advantage of multiple cores. Paired with a decent GPU, even a dual-core (granted, hyperthreaded) Ivy Bridge cpu can handle just about any game on the market. Pro multimedia work is another matter, of course.

[Andrew H.]

I know a lot of people with tablets, but I don't know anyone with a tablet who doesn't have a regular computer. I think that tablets are replacing the second computer that people used to have (the same role that the netbook used to fill), but not replacing the first computer.

[taustin]

Originally Posted by OtterBooks

True, but consumer software, including games, has still been slow in taking advantage of multiple cores. Paired with a decent GPU, even a dual-core (granted, hyperthreaded) Ivy Bridge cpu can handle just about any game on the market. Pro multimedia work is another matter, of course.

I kinda (meant to, at least) said that. My point was that Moore's Law is still on track, because it's not about clock speed, it's about total processing power (or, rather, technically, number of transistors), which continues to increase.