Is There Still Hope Left in the Future of the PC?

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Lol, and what would prevent the desktops to use the same breakthroughs to become even more powerful and still kick any tablet's ass in terms of performance? Besides, mouse+keyboard=win. Enough said.
 
I have an Android tablet but I don't know how to right-click on it. Or right-click and drag. Can anyone tell me?
 
Hmmmm... Another article to draw controversy...

Here is a list of reasons the pc will never die, regardless of tablet sales..

In no particular order:
1. pc is upgradeable and for the most part modular
2. Pc "Does it all"
3. Awsome support community: business, scientific, movie makers, gamers, modders, ect. ect. ect.
4. The pc is the only platform that can adapt to it's use. You want a entertainment pc, a game machine, a number cruncher, no problem.
5. Its also supports many companies unlike tablets. Most tablets are proprietary, but the pc supports all kind of companies, even apposing companies, nvidia, ati, intel, amd, gigabyte, asus, evga, ect. ect. ect. What other platform does that?

To me, it's obvious the pc is never gonna die. It's the best invention ever, and it will be along for years to come. It makes me laugh when people talk about the death of the pc, because people have been doing it for years and years, and it's still here.
 
[citation][nom]modinn[/nom]Because some people are buying a tablet instead of buying a product that they already own? PC's won't die. Tablets are a fad, just like 3-D movies have been in the past.[/citation]

No. The old Windows tablets were a fad.

The tablet of today of the iPad ilk are here to stay. I have too many use cases in my house alone to ever live without one.

Might it change shape? Most likely but the general idea of more mobile, more focused consumption and creation of content is just beginning. I wouldn't call that a fad.
 
made Apple the most profitable IT company. Should we make plans for the funeral of the PC?
Click to expand...

There's your problem right there. Apple itself is less than 10% of the market for computers (less if you take out laptops)... all of their money comes from $600 iPhones and $300 iPod and $800 iPads... things that gadget geeks bust a nut over and then are bored with 6 months later cause "everyone has one now".

The only reason that the PC is getting beaten at all is because of game makers making games for consoles then porting them to PC instead of the other way around. Then when the PC world finally comes out ahead, due to the fact that you can upgrade your graphics card, and the game makers finally start having PC exclusive titles again the console makers up their time table and release their new systems 2 or 3 years early. So thats the only thing kicking PCs in the pants really. iPhones and iPads and netbooks are nice but just like consoles you cant upgrade them ... so they are sort of stuck where they are and that means (like cloud computing) they will never dominate because they lock you into certain hardware for an extended period of time. Should I be wrong and they become the dominant media/game platform then no gaming company is going to feel the need to push the boundaries graphically or computationally and they will all be in it for the money. Upon that day the world will weep for the once proud pc game.
 
One thing about the attitude I really don't like in this article is that it seems to believe that Apple produces quality products. The truth is that Apple has an amazing marketing department that allows it to sell luxury very expensive products. Their success is in brand name like Louis Vuitton and the status related to it--they are the luxury tech brand. It's not better, but it does cost a lot and a lot of people are into that.
 
I'm really confused by this article. All it seems to accomplish is saying that you like how Apple hypes its products. Apple makes a lot of money and I applaud Steve Jobs' business prowess. But I can't say they're innovating that much or doing much that's special. The only reason iPads do well is because they're Apple--no tablet is anything special.

Apple doesn't have the potential to address all these future needs more than anyone else--but they do have a superior potential to get their followers to purchase whatever new tech they release under their brand next.

Disclaimer: The iPhone is pretty good. If it hadn't been locked to AT&T initially, it would've been amazing. I don't know of another special Apple product though.
 
I own a tablet computer, and honestly, it is a poor substitute for a netbook, a terrible substitute for a laptop and a horrible substitute for a desktop.
 
"I remember using a touch screen years ago at a computer show, Apple just happen finally to make it usable. "


Dude, get you history straight. Apple copied the technology. Hardware makers like Archos or HP made the touch screen usable long before iCrap came with the iPad drm jail.
 


Yep! PDAs were here long before iCrap and they didn't need multitouch to kick ass. I remember getting my first HP PDA and using my Bluetooth phone as a modem for the Internet... that was cool, back then. Phones were too slow to browse the web comfortably - the connection speed was sufficient, but not the rendering (let's call it that) speed. However, Bluetoothing the net to the PDA was perfect, and you didn't need no additional software for it, it was native... You had programs for controlling TVs and radios via infrared, again, often native. You had games - most of them, quests and strategies, but they were very close to PC equivalents of that time, just worse graphics - not some Angry Birds BS. Most of the stuff was there pre-installed, and restoring the device to factory settings kept these programs. That was real innovation. Apple took the PDA, added multitouch, stripped all stuff that requires brain and doesn't "just work" (duh! Need to set it up first!), brainwashed people (as much as I hate Apple - brilliant job, NO OTHER company or government brainwashes people that good) and sold loads of this crap. PDAs were for people with brains, and iPhones - well, everyone could use them. Some people argue that this is exactly why iCrap is so great ("ease of use"), maybe so, but it definitely doesn't make it "better" than other devices on the market. Yeah, Android doesn't "just work" exactly how you want it to work right out of the box. You have to spend a couple of days, tweaking the device to your liking, installing this and that, removing this and that... and you know what? This is exactly what I want! =)
 
I like the versatility of a desktop PC, MAC, Linux. A PC is a long away from dead.
A tablet or a notebook for that matter is not an optimal solution. The issues are mentioned below.

1.Constrained (contains and is limited to proprietary components and solutions both hard and soft.)
2.Over Specialized (works only in a certain context in an end-user's life. The idea is to monetise certain functions by eliminating easy access to certain functions. The user certainly does not share the manufacturers enthusiasm. )
3.Expensive (in terms of total cost of ownership spannning acquisition, kit out, maintenance, upgrades, obsolecence and finally safe disposal.)

However much the advertising spins advise you of an easy life, they come at the cost of the power and versatility of the desktop.
I agree that some of these parameters are specifically personal and some shared with a lot of other users like me. Many people have clarified the point much better than I; however I appreciate you reading through my view and would like to do the same for you.

Adam Steele.
 


That's EXACTLY what I'm talking about. There's nothing stopping future mobile\tablet like devices from wirelessly (or with wires) connecting to your 3x 30" monitors, keyboard, mouse, sound system etc. And in fact future versions of android\windows are already moving in this sort of direction. The personal computer as we know it becoming becoming literally personal. What I'm saying is I see tablets and pcs being essentially the same thing in the future. Rather than a desktop PC extinction\ replacement... OR we'll end up with much more or a low power pc / cloud model with ultra fast connectivity.....
 
I think people are getting to caught up in the semantics of what a "PC" is. I think clearly that the traditional PC will always remain in some shape or form. But tablets will and do overlap with current PCs in terms of function. But more importantly the tablet's form factor is it's defining characteristic. It's more important than hardware specs. Simply being light, thin, and having great battery life enables it be used for all types of applications that traditional PCs cannot work in or do not work as well. I'm talking about augmented reality, imaging applications, classroom use, etc.
 
[citation][nom]amk-aka-phantom[/nom]Yep! PDAs were here long before iCrap and they didn't need multitouch to kick ass. I remember getting my first HP PDA and using my Bluetooth phone as a modem for the Internet... that was cool, back then. . Apple took the PDA, added multitouch, stripped all stuff that requires brain and doesn't "just work" (duh! Need to set it up first!), brainwashed people (as much as I hate Apple - brilliant job, NO OTHER company or government brainwashes people that good) and sold loads of this crap. PDAs were for people with brains, and iPhones - well -- Yeah, Android doesn't "just work" exactly how you want it to work right out of the box. You have to spend a couple of days, tweaking the device to your liking, installing this and that, removing this and that... and you know what? This is exactly what I want! =)[/citation]

You're funny. Before iPad, before hp PDA, before palm pilot... There was the apple newton, which was quite powerful for it's time. From the rest of your text I get it. It's the geek factor of being able to do something that most people don't or can't, etc. The iPad is evolving computer tech. Nobody buys PDAs anymore because our phones are much better than pads... Even stupid phones.
So what if 99 % of the people can handle an iPad or android table?
Your right, sometimes android doesn't just work out of the box... It doesn't make it kewl. It makes it unprofessional. And yeah, it's great you can root it and do cool things with it... Go knock your self out.

But once your older, have kids, work for a living, pay bills... Spending so much time with a computer to do simple things becomes unattractive. I've spent countless hours, days doing such things on my far more powerful Amiga ( compared to Mac and pos ms-dos) in my 20s. Nowadays, I want my things to work. My 1997 keyboard appears to have died today... And nothing but crap on the market to replace it with... That may last a year or so.

Still not sure what your ranting about. Tablets or iPad.
( windows 7 user and reseller / android phone user / iPad user)
Typed on my iPad .

 
[citation][nom]amk-aka-phantom[/nom]Hey, hey, HEY! Don't you guys understand what's going on?It's called BRAINWASHING!Didn't you notice the same thing with "the cloud"? Nobody gave a $h!t about it, and then the media started droning "cloud computing, cloud computing, cloud computing..." and now a lot of people are convinced that it really IS the future (like the media said) without even knowing pros and cons... or what cloud computing is!Same thing is happening here. It is much more profitable to sell consoles, tablets and netbooks, where you can't upgrade and you just need to buy a whole new device, which is great fo them. So now media will keep droning that "PC is dead" until people believe it. Already now many people are convinced that everything can be done on tablets/netbooks, well, they're wrong. Desktops will always be around for many reasons: PC gaming, nVidia/Intel/AMD not willing to lose their primary market, enthusiasts, workstations... consoles and tablets won't replace it. Just remember: there's always a supply as long as there's a demand. Let's keep building PCs, no matter what media says.I observed that scenario happening with "green food", "cloud computing" (still in progress) and many other things. For a few years, media keeps BS'ing people and feeding them lies. After the brainwashing is completed, you can start reaping rewards: sell the same vegetables with a sticker "Non genetically modified" for double the price, convince people to put their data "on the cloud" instead of their hard drives and do other senseless BS. In this case, they're trying to convince us to abandon PC. Now, ask yourself, do we need to do that? Will tablets and consoles replace a desktop for us? Of course, they might be a valuable addition to our electronics, providing us with entertainment on the go (if you'd rather waste your time on Angry Birds than enjoy your trip) and allowing us to play games in a different way than on the PC (if you want it). But replace the desktop?When hell freezes.Though, observing the majority of the replies here, I can tell that people are just as upset with these ridiculous "PC is dead" claims as I am. Keep on building, keep on upgrading, keep on OC'ing, keep on gaming, keep on causing the PCs to improve! nVidia promised photo-realistic real-time rendering in a few years. For that, new CPUs and GPUs must be released, and they WILL be released in a few years and they will be affordable. Still think we have nowhere to go with the PC? The only thing that saddens me is that I'll have to upgrade... AGAIN... but it's such a small price for having a powerful device that is controlled by you, and not by the fashion trend...[/citation]
[citation][nom]garborg[/nom]You should have revised your title before publishing, not mid article. Thanks for continuing the fear mongering BS. Grats ratings! Now STFU.[/citation]

@ama-aka-phantom:

You "get it".

It is clear that instead of giving the customer what they want the manufacturers are trying to lead the customer by the nose TELLING them what they SHOULD WANT.

Bingo. I mean why do you think the powers that be are dumbing down society?
 


Lol, thank you, that's exactly the kind of life I'm avoiding. Don't want to "settle down" and want stuff to "just work". I have better things to do with my life... I know people who are 60 years old and still tinker with their PCs and smartphones, and they're generally much better people that those who "settled down" and bought stuff that "just works" - they keep their intelligence sharp and they "get it", allowing them to easily fit among younger people. Even if I "settle down", I will NOT just get the most advertised/hyped thing, be it a computer, a car or a phone, I'll first look at what's available and what suits me most. That way I'll spend money on exactly what I want and get exactly what I want. Looks like I already know more about how to live a life you've described than you do! In other words: loads of iCrap that "just works" isn't healthy for your "bills".

Also, working for a living and paying bills doesn't mean your life has to turn into a boring routine that doesn't leave you time for fun stuff. If it does, find a new job that you like more. If it's your wife and kids' fault, you made a mistake by getting a family =)

Why do I always have to do that? People just don't see how that kind of life messes with their well-being, and then they end up like these stereotype American families in the Hollywood movies: work, bills, wife, kids, same routine every day... have fun, my friend. I aim higher.
 
I certainly hope to see a hefty future in PC's. Between workstation, video editing / rendering and lastly gaming they still have a solid future in my books
 
[citation][nom]amk-aka-phantom[/nom]Lol, thank you, that's exactly the kind of life I'm avoiding. I have better things to do with my life... I know people who are 60 years old and still tinker with their PCs and smartphones~[/citation]
LOL, you don't know anything about my life anymore than I know yours, I can guess as much as you guess mine. I'm into technology, even have some patents (not the $$$), I have computers that I bought before you were born (guessing).
I grew up when computers came with manuals (gasp!), that were 1-3 inches thick. I still have my 1985 floppy drive I worked hard for to buy at $285 that is larger and heavier than my ThinkPad (much less an iPad).
That HP PDA you were talking about? I gave one to my son when he was 4 (2 years ago) as it was useless old tech, but exciting to a baby.
I still build PCs for clients and of course myself. My Android phone doesn't look anything like Android, but I put as much as I care into it.

I don't know what your avoiding. Unless you avoid dating, sex and women and have a kid - you'll gain a family. If you're gay (not that there is anything wrong with that), you could still end up married with a kid. 😉

[citation][nom]amk-aka-phantom[/nom]Looks like I already know more about how to live a life you've described than you do![/citation]
??? Don't know what you mean. By the time I was 26, I was 250lb computer and Anime guy.
So, I spent more time doing other things, working out, going to parties, meeting women, etc.
tsk tsk: I'm no where near 250lbs, and I'm strong enough to pick up a guy who decided he would pick up my girl... in which I told him he "WAS a stong guy".

[citation][nom]amk-aka-phantom[/nom]Also, working for a living and paying bills doesn't mean your life has to turn into a boring routine that doesn't leave you time for fun stuff. If it does, find a new job that you like more.[/citation]
Unless your PARENTS are buying all your electronic toys and cars and roof over your head (or born into a multi-millionaire family like Trump), *YOU* have to work to BUY the things you want, to take girls out on dates, to live. I like my job, I set my own hours... hard to fire myself.

[citation][nom]amk-aka-phantom[/nom]If it's your wife and kids' fault, you made a mistake by getting a family =)[/citation]
Yeah, cause I love sex. Dirty sweaty sex than to tinker with computer? Who said I was married? My son was a choice and he's great. We play legos together, do story time, ride trains, play video games and work on computers. He know more about computers than some of my clients.

[citation][nom]amk-aka-phantom[/nom]Why do I always have to do that? People just don't see how that kind of life messes with their well-being, and then they end up like these stereotype American families in the Hollywood movies: work, bills, wife, kids, same routine every day... have fun, my friend. I aim higher.[/citation]
Nobody said you had to do anything. You do what you do today to learn, as did I, as does anyone else. 5, 10, 20 years from now - you won't be the same. :)
I don't know what your AIM is... higher at what? Having 5 computers to be intimate with? (Not sexual, just having so many systems to work with for whatever reason). I get my computers working the way I want and then leave them be. I don't need to tinker with them constantly. I'm pretty much done with my Overclocking days, the returns aren't really worth it.

Stereo typical what?
I maybe dating 1~3 women at a time, hell I've invited two to party at a club at the same time... I wanted both of them to have fun and didnt want to be rude.
Last few women I dated: ages: 27, 20, 31, 22... I have my intrests on a sexy 20 year old (I do wish she was 21), she's very smart and kinky.
I'm stronger and in better health than most 20 year olds, and I'll out dance most. I drive a sports car I love, but I want to have another... along with a mini-van or something like that.

"American families in the Hollywood movies" BWahahahaahaa! That is rich. Hollywood movies are a fantasy. Remember your very own comment on "BRAINWASHING"? Why do you think we have idiots who want to "go back to the old days" like Leave It to Beaver, which such days & places NEVER EXISITED.
Life is hard (unless your parents pay your way) - so make the most of it.

I know I am (Just got hugs from my kid).

PS: My 1996 keyboard died... finally. Sorry about any text issues above, on a generic keyboard for now. Nobody makes tough keyboards any more 🙁
 
[citation][nom]juiceman[/nom]There will always be hope for the 'transformed PC' which will still be a PC.[/citation]

I believe that ^^^

Might not be a Microsoft Windows or Apple OS, but its still a computer one way or another. If something eventually comes out that literally crushes both of those, then I'll be happy to embrace it.
 
^ Mmm, the amount of butthurt... epic =) And all I meant to say is that I don't see why your "adult" life suddenly removes you from tinkering with electronics. I also have to work to earn my living, yet it doesn't magically cause me to forget what I like and suddenly change.

Life isn't hard, unless you make it so.

And I didn't say I was avoiding a family.. I said I was avoiding anything that'll turn me into a person that wants stuff to "just work". I think that one can have a family and still do things that he/she likes, otherwise it's not a happy family.

I also suggest you post your dating logs somewhere else, this is a hardware website in case you didn't notice :) No offense, but it has nothing to do with the topic. Just because you have a lot of dates doesn't mean you have to stop tinkering with computers, unless you're really bad in scheduling your time.

No surprise that PDA was old tech... I abandoned mine 3.5 years ago. I was talking about PDAs in the top days of their glory (something like 6 years back?); read carefully.

In a response to my suggestion to not turn the life into a boring routine you say

Unless your PARENTS are buying all your electronic toys and cars and roof over your head (or born into a multi-millionaire family like Trump), *YOU* have to work to BUY the things you want, to take girls out on dates, to live. I like my job, I set my own hours... hard to fire myself.
Click to expand...

Exactly what does it have to do with my suggestion? You say that you like your job, but at the same time you oppose me saying it doesn't have to be boring... I merely said that having a job shouldn't screw with your interests; that doesn't mean you have to make your parents pay for your stuff. Can just find a job and do other things in your free time. Better yet, find a job that matches your interests. I did.

You're overreacting in a response to a simple forum post... did I hit the target? 😉

P.S. Also using old keyboard? Same here... looks silly in front of a modern PC, but try to break this thing, much less damage it... =)
 
@ amk-aka-phantom
Life isn't hard, unless you make it so.
Click to expand...

"Life is hard" is generally for most people. Hell, there are millionaires who are "depressed" who go off on drugs and kill themselves because "Life sucks" - stupid, eh?

Oh... I like to work as little as possible. I'd rather spend more time with my kid, showing him the world.

The dating thing: You rant against tablet tech... I was rant against tech in general. I got so burnt out, I didn't even have a functional computer at home for a while. Computers are just tools... nothing more. But they can have personality and be a bitch.

No surprise that PDA was old tech... I abandoned mine 3.5 years ago.
Click to expand...
I remember the PDA days. You were super excited about what could be done with them... and they were more costly than todays tablets (including the iPad).

Agreed about JOB and interests. Most people don't do that. I've chatted with a Taxi cab driver once... he was taking computer classes. From talking, I told him it not a field for him. Once on a bus, chatted with a young man learning about computer tech (getting out of street life) and I gave him recommendations. He had a desire for the tech field that shows. I've embarrassed a few MS-CTS who didn't know anything... but should have since back then, I never took a class and still fixed their issues.

You're overreacting in a response to a simple forum post... did I hit the target?
Click to expand...

Naa... Not really, I was trying out some spare keyboards and see how they felt. My left SHIFT key & ctrl, dead... better than the day before. Crossing fingers that perhaps another 2-5 days if dryness will help (doubtful). Never in my life have I ever killed a keyboard by accident. (A few drops of milk) I did break a keyboard in half because of stupid Win95.... UGH!

My 1996 keyboard was actually a MS-Ergonomic clone keyboard I paid $18. It is heavy and solid... the way that today keyboards are NOT! It doesn't have cheap decals on for the keys (really?) The idea of a $50~100 keyboard with STICKERS?!
The layout was great, better than MS (IMO)... and todays MS ergonomic are cheesy.
It is SOOO old, it has an AT-keyboard connector, attached to a PS/2 Adapter to an extender... because having 3 inches of plastic and metal off a PS/2 port is bad.

I checked out 2 stores today with 40+ keyboard demos... most of them, crap! Flimsily, all with decals. Reading reviews, many don't live more than a year or so.

How hard is it to make a GOOD keyboard? I want a big fat ENTER key, large Backspace. How? Put the |\ key to the right of the right-shift key. (simple).
Only 1-2 keyboards have such an enter key, then have a tiny Backspace. Only keyboard without stickers and good feel is a $80 Logitech lighted gaming keyboard. 🙁 So I'm typing on a 5 yr old MS keyboard. (I get and give free keyboards).

And yeah, my OLD keyboard was next to a nice $130 Antec P-series case, a modern 24" display and a Logitech MX mouse. Nobody makes a nice white or light colored keyboard. 🙁

I'm screwed.

Maybe its time to replace everything with a Mac?
 
PS: Have a 2001~2002 MS sidewinder joystick (Works with Win7)... there is nothing I see on the market that would be a good replacement.

Somethings, companies are not willing to improve upon. MS could re-release the joystick (sans better electronics) and have the best joystick on the marker easily.
 


Stupid, agreed. If I'd have that kind of money, I'm sure I won't get bored - there's a lot of work to be done.

PDA were NOT more expensive than tablets. My HP iPAQ hx2190b was like $370 and it was a kick-ass device for that time, it had everything.

And the keyboard... what you said about keys is the only reason I'm still using this old junk - I'm not exactly sure how old is it, but I remember I had it with my 386, so it's got to be at least 10 years old... And it's still in top shape - nothing worn out, nothing scratched, all 3 LEDs working. Many of my friends who come over always tell me to get a "nice" keyboard, and I laugh at them - exactly for the reason you've described. The only good keyboard that'll give me an advantage over mine is an expensive gaming one, and the $80 Logitech one costs about $200 here, so I'll stick with this one until it breaks. I'm thankful that even the newest boards still have PS/2.

Against tech in general? Doubtful, taking your setup into account :) And if you can afford a Mac, you surely can afford a $80 keyboard.
 
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