How to Save the PC Industry

[back_by_demand]

This article says in a lot of words what I have been saying for years, mainly about Acer, HP and Dell - pumping out endless dull low quality shit trying to chase the maximum profit from the least amount of sales. Here's the news, people aren't buying it, literally and figuratively. Produce higher quality and a lower price and profit per machine may drop, but you will sell much more and total profit goes up. This has been proven to work, Steam game sales are a prime example. The first company that breaks ranks and actually does this could very well be the next decades top tech OEM, so GO!

 

[Jeff Krogue]

I think they need to sell people on the benefits of a nice high res 22" all in one computer. The convenience of the screen real estate and convenience of a real mouse and keyboard.

 

[MorkS]

For most people, a PC from ten years ago will do the trick.

The average user wants to do the following, e-mail, browse the web, word processing and watch some videos (netflix, youtube etc...).

None of that requires the latest computer. To me, that is why the PC market is stagnating. The rest of my family won't upgrade to a new PC until their current one either breaks, or doesn't do the things they want it to do.

 

[pjmelect]

Windows 8 is largely to blame for the decline in sales of laptops and desktop computers, people do not want it and buy a tablet with Android on it instead or go Apple. Many are waiting for Windows 9 to see if that will be better as there hardware is good enough to last them until then.
You may disagree with my observations, but this is my experience of talking to laptop and desktop owners.

 

[coolitic]

"1. get intel to lower cpu prices.
2. get microsoft to lower os prices. instead, microsoft develops software/app/media/games based revenue system.
3. end the display standards war and help higher resolution (and higher refresh rate) displays' market penetration faster.
4. bring a linux-based os up to ms' level like valve is doing with steamOS.
5. optimize all modern softwares for latest cpu and gpu architectures. this may be hard on coders but it's necessary.
6. above all: get intel, ms to end their monopolistic hold on (x86) pc market."

1. I agree
2. Windows 8 isn't too expensive, but a slightly lower price could help (along with making windows 8 not a pile of trash)
3. Not completely sure what you mean, but 1600x900 should be mininum and 75 hertz is easily achievable via display overclock
4. The only people that use linux are the ones that currently make up pc market. The people that dont buy pc's anymore (which are the ones that need pc makers need to get back) wont use linux, so I disagree with you. Linux is for people with more computer experience.
5. Optimizing software like that wont happen for a long time. The only thing in need of optimization are games, and most have adequate optimizations anyway. What needs to be done is to have more efficient hardware.
6. No. first of all, intel doesn't have a monopoly (just a majority). Second, MS doesn't have monopoly since they do business fairly.

 

[EddieLomax]

In the UK I would point the finger at too many retailers and manufacturers all trying to sell the same crappy £400-500 laptop.

The biggest retail store, pcworld has a woeful selection of PC laptops, the most expensive is £899 but is essentially just a mid range graphics card with a basic I7. Next to it there are £1200 mac laptops with more or less the same feeble components.

If you want something decent you have to then spend £1600 for a gaming laptop with components that cost ~200-300 more, too many manufacturers are shaving £20-30 off a laptop to try and be the cheapest and just creating junk.

 

[Portser]

All the mentioning of Apple is farther proof Tom's hardware still is being paid by Apple. Seriously, Apple has almost less PC market share then Linux does on a global level.