The day of the PC over?
 

Mark Dean, one of a group of engineers who designed and built the IBM 5150 (later to be renamed the IBM PC) has said he thinks the day of the PC is over. He also said that he thinks PCs "going the way of the vacuum tube, typewriter, vinyl records, CRT and incandescent light bulbs."

I have to admit, I think for general use he is right. I can only speak for myself and my friends here, but I am finding that for general computing use , people are now tending to pick up a smartphone (such as an iPhone or Android phone), a tablet or netbook. In some cases, they are using a Kindle for basic browsing.

When they want to play a game, they do so either on the tablet, smartphone etc or they fire up a console.

The one that most surprised me is one friend who was a hardcore PC gamer. He has a monster of a PC that over the years he has spent thousands on and would rebuild the PC with the hghest spec CPU, GFX cards (he would always use two), memory and motherboard at least once a year, yet when I spoke to him in the pub the other day, he admitted he hardly ever uses it now. He found that he was using mostly for web browsing and development (he runs a website for a major estate agency), and gaming. The web browsing, development he does mostly on an Android tablet, and the gaming is done mostly on an xbox now.

While I am currently looking to upgrade my PC at the moment (some of the stuff I need to do on it for work runs rather slowly on it's elderly Core 2 duo, so I am going to rebuild it around a new CPU), generally I am now the same. For web browsing, 80% of the time I use my Mac Laptop at home, 10% of the time I using my iPhone and the remaining 10% I use my PC. ?With gaming, ATM, it's about half and half, but the xbox is getting more and more use.

http://www.networkworld.com/news/201...c.html?hpg1=bn

What do you think? Is the PC on it's way out, is it still going strong, or will it hang around for a few years and eventually disappear?

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

I think it is on the way out, but I also think it's purpose has changed. I pity those now that pay out for a top spec desktop PC as it seems a waste of money. PC gaming is pretty much non existent, those that pay out crazy amounts are paying for what? A benchmark score that means nothing in the real world. I tend to use my PC now more as a multimedia thing than a games machine, it's rigged up to my tv and I have no need for a blu-ray player etc and I would be lost without it.

I don't like laptops, I don't like the keyboards and they struggle at multi-tasking. Ipads to me are the biggest waste of space and pointless items going, that's only because my PC is in my living room and is always on. If I had a 'normal' house and the PC was upstairs, then that might be different. I do use my iTouch and HTC Sensation for browsing, but I'll never bother writing this amount of text on one.

I'm fed up with upgrading my PC, my last upgrade was about 2-3 years ago and even though I can still play any game that comes out now on max settings (proof that PC gaming is dead) I won't be upgrading again.

Onboard graphics has a lot to answer for in the death of PC gaming, and games like WoW has to be mentioned. Stores like PC world where even their most expensive model means you can't run a game unless you upgrade as soon as you get it out of the box. Laptops are just plain useless for gaming unless you pay over the odds, which is pointless as you could get a desktop for half the price and would run better, but it seems the sales of laptops are overtaking desktops, so what chance has PC gaming got.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

The days of plugging in a thousand cables, testing, installing, and then having a big white PC box sitting on your desk are gone.
That is why Apple got it so right with the Imac. Works straight out the box and looks stylish and takes up minimum space.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

The average home PC has always been vastly more capable than the uses most people put theirs to. I guess it was always likely that their star would fade as soon as dedicated, lower- powered devices became affordable and practical.

I disagree re. usefulness of tablets though (and iPad in particular) ... Our main home computer (an iMac) is sometimes not switched on for a day or two at a time since we got our iPad, because most of what we did on the computer we now do on the iPad (taking B&B bookings, which requires email and calendar, both of which work wonderfully on the iPad and sync through MobileMe back to the mac anyway, plus invoicing through Paypal, and general web browsing, which is much more pleasant when sat on a sofa than at a desk).

There are certain productivity tasks that I still need the computer for, but those are the sorts of things I would want to sit at the desk and do. The iPad frees me from the desk for all the things I shouldn't need to sit at a desk for. And it is frankly amazing at amusing bored children when it's raining. :D

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

*ahem*
imo, if you want the best graphics you can get, it's still a PC that will deliver those.
Ok, you have to pay for that but I think it's worth it......couple that with as you say, the multimedia capabilities when attached to a telly and I think ithe PC has life in it yet.......for certain sections of the population.....

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Ok that's fair enough, the price of graphic cards have come down a lot, but how many PC specific games are being released yearly? One, maybe two... if that.

I can understand if you want to play something like BF3 etc, but to pay a price of a new 360 or PS3 to just be able to play it, I know what I'd rather put that money on instead.

I haven't said that gaming isn't good on the PC, I much prefer it on the PC over consoles but when you only get less than (one) handful of games a year (mostly console ports), then you can't help being disappointed.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Most games are unfortunately being written first for the console market and then ported to the PC. That means that most PCs aren't being taxed by recent games. I'm hoping BF3 will prove to be the difference where we see the PC as the platform for the game.

I don't have an ipad. I have a small Android tablet. That only comes out if I go travelling, largely so I can watch predownloaded films. I don't even have a smartphone.

I'm typing this on my office laptop. I have another laptop at home that might get used for general web browsing stuff if I'm in front of the TV. Another computer acts as a media player, with plenty of storage. True I could get a NAS, but realistically a NAS is just a one function computer. Web site development, graphics and any of that stuff is so much easier on a desktop PC when you have big monitor or even multiple monitors to see what you are manipulating. Tablets and other portable devices are great for some things but the portability creates some compromises. When you need power, the PC is king.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Yes l agree that there is definitely plenty of life in the PC yet for quite a lot of people and l still intend to buy a new one soon but for some people the convenience of a tablet, i pad or other devices is just right for them and their modern lives where time is sometimes at the essence.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

I think laptops will replace desktops.

My sister had a desktop which took up a lot of room, she bought a laptop and when they have finished they put it in a drawer out of the way.

In my home there are 3 laptops and a netbook, both my dads and mine have a dedicated GFX card which plays and makes game look awesome.

My mum has one with a stand GFX card, which does what she wants.

I also have the netbook which I bought for use when I travelled in my job. I've put DVDs on to a HDD and watch it on that. I've even taken SVGA leads so I can plug it in to the hotels TV (if possible).

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

I think it is "horses for courses".

If I am browsing the web/checking emails, I use my iPad/Xoom.

If I am gaming or working (writing documents/spreadsheets), I use the PC (I haven't seen a laptop with a 24" screen yet).

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

You have a Xoom? How is it?

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

I agree 100% with Chris our PC doesn't get used as much these days I would say its now something like 50% IPad , 25% Ipod Touch/Android Phone with the rest split between laptop and desktop .

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Not too bad - not as intuitive as the iPad, but you can do more with it (more of a techy's tablet than a consumer tablet at the moment, imho).

For instance, to view videos, you have to download a file handling app, then go into that, and double-click on the video file to play it - not user-friendly, imho.

I may be getting a HP Touchpad on demo soon, so I will feed back on that as well.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

I've not heard great things about the TouchPad, sadly. The new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is meant to be excellent, though, if you get a chance to try that.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't play games on my PC (other than the odd bit of Civ 5), and haven't done for ages. I can't be bothered with all the upgrading etc., and I find console gaming far more convenient anyway.

The main thing I use my PC for is web browsing, along with downloading and streaming videos.

I use my iPad a lot for browsing, and also for games and watching videos. It's far more convenient than my PC. I could switch completely to just the iPad, if there weren't still a few things I need a PC for...

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Don't think a smartphone or IPad or console can render the 3D art I like to do..So I'm looking to upgrade my PC as soon as I can because it's being left behind by the software I use.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Desktops are pretty much ancient in my eyes. Laptops are the way forward for most people these days. Light weight, portable, almost en par with desktop PCs.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Almost being the operative word. So close, and yet still so far...

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

The problem for Desktop PCs is that Laptops are powerful enough for most things the average punter would want, and a hell of a lot neater and more convenient than Desktops.

Even in areas that make heavy use of a computer's hardware (Gaming, video editing etc), high end laptops are often powerful enough for the job, and a lot more conveniently than a desktop.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Ditto, especially when (like me) one has fingers like cows t*ts!

Sigh..................!

Si thee :Sprint:

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

An iPad (or other tablet/smartphone) is powerful enough for most things the average punter would want, we're not average punters though.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

I suspect you do plenty of perfectly average things with your home computer. ;)

You have a specialist use for your IT kit, but when you're not putting it to that specialist use, would it be fair to say that even you, a non-average punter, could get along better with something that doesn't tie you to a desk?

I'm posting from an iPad at the moment, which I have found to be surprisingly flexible at a whole range of tasks I wouldn't have expected to be able to perform quickly and easily on it, such as issuing invoices for my business, or performing certain moderation or admin tasks on this forum.

There are still things I need to sit at my desk for though; the full-size screen with separate keyboard and pointing device is still unsurpassed when productivity is all-important.

When Saint Steve of Jobs annouced iCloud he said apple was demoting the iMac from 'the centre of your digital life' to 'just another device'. I think that's the essence of what we're discussing here. It is no longer necessary to have a bulky, general-purpose computer at the heart of all your various productivity and entertainment activities. That computer has its place but when those activities are not best performed sat in that place, there are an increasingly affordable and accessible range of alternative devices that can help.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

An interesting debate we were discussing at work today.

I have a 3.4GHz P4 super PC (well it was in 2004). It's noisy because of the fans but still works and I used it when my laptop went dead.

Keyboards and mice scare some older people as they are totally alien to them. My old Pa struggled to use a PVR I bought him as menus were alien to him. (as he mentioned growing up watching silent movies, things were a little different). He had a point.

However after a few minutes using an ITouch on the Internet and he was away with it albeit browsing the local newspaper sites, some old WW2 archives and the Daily Mail. He thought he could spend the rest of his days reading online archives from soldiers on the thing.

Net use is becoming something most want. Even myself. I use my fast lappy for browsing most of the time.

I think Pads generally are the future as they require nothing technical to use once set up. Large touch displays and very colourful. They are also very intuitive. having played with a borrowed iPad I have to agree despite my opinions.

Much as I do not like the iPad because of price and lack of interface (which are my personal concerns only as a techy), they will be taken up by our non computer literate population who care little about Flash players and USB ports.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

That's the whole point though - those that complain about lack of interface have rather missed the point, and are effectively demanding that the iPad be more like a laptop than what it is actually designed to be, which primarily is a dead simple means of consuming content.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Until some kind of standard is agreed upon this notion is pure fantasy. Too many companies waving their dangly bits around saying "look at what I've got, it'll have yours any day". Some devices do things that others can't.. iPhones can't do some fundamentally useful things that many people might want to do then we've got this whole dirty business of an Apple landgrab going on where they've prevented a competitor from releasing a similar technology to theirs in the European market. No thanks.

What about in the enterprise? maybe when we can take thin client computing really seriously we can talk about using a diverse range of non-pc devices which meet some basic criteria to deliver business critical functionality. This is happening to a certain degree as we speak but it's not going to be the norm anytime soon.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

I don't see the iPad as being high-priced, myself. Cheaper tablets are generally cheaper for a reason...

All the "quality competition" to the iPad costs pretty much exactly the same (e.g. £479 for a 32GB WiFi-only Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, exactly the same price as the 32GB WiFi-only iPad 2. Ditto for the Blackberry Playbook). OK, the Moto Xoom had a price cut, but AFAIK that was purely down to disappointing sales (it was originally the same price as the iPad 2, but is now IIRC £400 for the 32GB WiFi model & £480 for the 3G model... and even at that reduced price, I'd bet that the majority of tablet customers would rather pay the extra for the iPad 2, apart from the Android fans and Apple haters)...Oh, and there's also the TouchPad, but there's a special reason that was going for less than £100 this week ;)

It's strange. The iMac and iPhone are arguably very expensive, yet Apple is far more reasonable with the iPad's price. I guess sacrificing the higher margins is worth it if it means total dominance of the market...

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Smartphone, Tablet, Laptop, PC - they all can do some of the same stuff, but some of them do somethings better than others; it depends what you want to do (small portable device - Smartphone; bit more functionality and better media consumption - Tablet; more functionality, transportability, and ability to produce stuff (like large docs and presentations - laptop; something with grunt that will last a couple of years and you don't have to lug around - desktop.

It's like saying now we have motorbikes, we don't need bicycles, cars, or buses/trains - there will be a market for all of the devices (sometimes in the same house). I use my iPad/Xoom for consumption (browsing/films/books/email etc), my smartphone for music, calls, texts, and to take out with me on an evening, my laptop for moving work between my offices, and my PC (which I am typing on now) for gaming and others stuff.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

I might have to take back what I've said in my earlier post about the iPad being useless as I've just borrowed one to prove a point and I can say I've lost that point.

Having used one and using for the things I would use the PC for in general, I can say I've been converted. Watching films (via air video), iplayer etc, and browsing has been quite a pleasure and I know I could tailor an iPad to my own personal use quite easily. If I owned a hat I think I would have eaten it by now.

Saying that, I wouldn't know if a low end (the average laptop) would be enough to go with the ipad for things like on the fly streaming/converting, I've yet to try that out. It seems that to get the best out of the iPad I'm glad my PC isn't just 'average'.

As for laptops doing what desktops can do for things like gaming, well I don't think that's the case, unless you pay that premium amount of extra money that's never going to happen, unless you like playing games like farmville or other low end crappy games. And if you are a gamer, unless you have access to crazy money and can throw sense out of the window, desktops still have and will have the edge for gaming and video editing.

A mate of mine has a m17x2 alienware laptop, just under £4k worth, yet a desktop PC under £800 will still beat it. No brainer really.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

I dont think the pc is dead at all I Just think its moving in a different direction, sure you might not see as many games as a console but then some games just aren't meant to be on a pc.

Lets look at the specs I have a mid range pc quad core 3.4ghz AMD with 4 gig of ram and a geforce 260GTX graphics card.

As others have said I can run pretty much any game at the moment this is only because developers are sloppy not using the pc's for full use and they have to tailor to the market which aren't running high end machines.

But you get companies like game, steam, EA....they all offer pay to download now which makes it cheaper for them and better for the home user on there 10-100mb BB connections and lets not get away from the pirate copies.

You've also got Metaboli they range from £6-£13 a month to play as many pc games as they supply. £6 for around 250 games and £13 gets you access to 700+ games a lot of companies are going this way well not all EA dont like the idea at least at the moment but renting pc games seems to be a good thing if you dont mind paying £13 a month to get the top games.

I recently bought a ps3 still seem to hold the price after all these years but I say this even though my pc is mid range the graphics card cost me £60 it wipes the floor with the ps3 the CPU was £130 thats less than £200 and cheaper than a ps3 which I can say the graphics aren't that impressive for a machine still stuck in 2006 with its old componants.

I suppose the only problem is as others said all the cables and room for a desktop which for me I dont mind.

Finally the pc as moved more onto online games rather than solo playing which the ps3 doesn't have access to a large portion of games that the pc does. although I like the ps3 for the idea of sitting and chilling infront of the tv I like online gaming and wouldnt' give that up for an out dated console.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

See that's the thing. I do have a tablet laptop and a smartphone. I'd rather do everything on my phone and forget about the desktop, only those devices don't have enough power or flexibility for what I need. If I didn't have to get out of bed to do my gaming, I wouldn't. I wish I wasn't tied to the desk, but until laptops are powerful enough, I am.

---------- Post added at 23:45 ---------- Previous post was at 23:44 ----------

For some people, yes. Don't get me wrong, I like the concept. I'd rather have all my devices just be cloud-connected I/O devices but things just aren't moving fast enough.

We're moving closer, but the days of the PC aren't numbered just yet.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

I'm tempted to think that the desktop's days are numbered. I need computing power for work. I used to get a new pc every 3 years, bought mac pros for work etc, and in recent years I found that a performance laptop does the job quickly enough...

I don't game or do video processing (much), but it seems to me that most PCs (and laptops for that matter) are becoming increasingly overpowered for what they're actually used for.

Couple that with cloud computing, and I'd say that a lot of people need little more than the computing power of a Tablet.

I think the end of computing done in a big box under your desk is quite near.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

maybe thats why HP have already pulled out and want to stay on the software side of things?

The downside to consoles are is that pc technology moves on, console technology doesn't and the ps3 is stuck back in 2006 because thats where the technology lies a pc can keep going because they are upgradable.

PC's no longer really stick out for 1/2 player games over the last few years the pc market has shifted to online gaming and this is where the console market starts to lag behind, maybe in the next gen console things will be different but at the moment you can't really compare the 2 as the pc still has the upper edge. you can still use a controller to play games on the pc as I have the xbox pad

I've read plenty of reviews where ps3 and xbox360 games lag a lot especially when it comes to online gaming. with a pc they are upgradable I dont have to wait 6 or 7 years for the next gen technology to come out.

Saying that it depends what people want...most are just happy to use smart phones and tablets for limited life things. for me my pc does many things a lot of others can't which doesn't inc gaming. so until something better comes along I'm happy to be where I am at the moment.

Although I have to mention the browser based games coming out, battle star galactica, startrek infinate space and I think everquest 2 has one as well where with these games have high end graphics but dont need your own pc kitted out to get them running because its all done server side

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

HP are still in the hardware business, with printers and servers......

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

We're going to move away from laptops actually and go with having a really fast PC for heavy duty work and gaming and tablets for around the house stuff like browsing, tweeting, etc.

My laptop is fine for a while, it's pretty quick, but as our laptops obsolesce they'll be replaced by tablets rather than like for like.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

all depends on your lifestyle and needs, am more borrowing ;) films music etc, running websites,forums so my Pc is a MUST.

Mainly as i detest with a vengance those bloody touchpads

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

PCs are fine at the moment all these smart phones and tablets are just the latest trend at the moment they'll soon move on

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Err, no, I don't think so.

Since getting my iPad I have been able to do all of the day to day admin for my business on it, wherever I happen to be. I'm not tied to the desk. I see no reason why I should suddenly get bored of all that freedom and convenience.

Just because something is popular, doesn't mean it must be just a passing fad. ;)

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Well lets look at it like this....consoles are outdated as soon as they come out the box the ps3 and xbox360 are at least 5/6 years old now and although the graphics look good they just wont beat a pc which has the ability to move with the developers.

Poor pc games are down to sloppy companies not the computer. At the moment consoles are limited to games and some internet browsing but some new online games lag because the technology of the console finds it hard to keep up.

Tablets and smart phones although they are good for certain things they are still limited in what they can do and you can't type like you can on a keyboard with touch screen.

I think for now this technology is a fad for the smart stuff now whether this moves on and gets better I dont know but I can understand the point of view about being attached to a desk and not have any freedom.

I think the pc has plent of life in it regardless of its use. Gaming is down to the developers but again thats down to the individual home user. as I have repeated already the pc has shifted to online gaming and although there are larger companies out there releasing MMO games there are those that people dont buy in the shops and are download only from their websites.

I'm happy to stick around with my pc for gaming over my ps3

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

It's difficult to work out what you're trying to say here, but it looks very much as if you think tablets and smartphones are a passing trend because PCs are better for playing games on?

Sorry, but that doesn't make any sense. PC gaming is every bit as much a specialist activity as web development or video/graphics work. High-powered desktop machines are always going to have a place. But there are plenty of activities that don't require the power of a desktop machine, or the desk space or the office chair.

And I have typed all of my posts in this thread on an iPad keyboard. ;)

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

My prediction is that the market is big enough for:

- Mobility : Smartphones will rule this area with little problem.

- Everyday : General Internet, Office and Casual Gaming will be taken up by the tablets in due course stealing massive market share.

- Power : Home Hub, Full Gaming, Image & Video processing, Analysis and other intensive and enterprise tasks are going to remain the domain of the desktop.

- Console : Continued combat with desktops stealing market share as a pure Entertainment Hub.

Laptops will slide into a niche product and become obsolete.

Most will end up with a tablet and many of them also with a Smartphone and Console whilst a core will remain with a Desktop as neither a Console or Tablet will do what they want (probably they will still have one or both though)

For the record a desktop doesn't have to be on a desk, mine is with my TV. Mine is hooked upto my main 42" HD TV with PC surround sound and wireless keyboard & mouse meaning I have all my media on one screen with my Tivo a button press away. When I get a new decent Amp my sound will be through one set-up as well leading to greater integration.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

I agree with the above poster, the above is exactly what I mentioned my plans are. There will always be a place for fixed machines, laptops will return I suspect to being almost universally an enterprise tool.

I guess the first phase of that move was going with laptops for everyone.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

I'm saying at the moment Smart phones and tablets are a fad now whether this gets better with time it might do it might not I have a smart phone and do spend a lot of time on it.

As for the pc I do play games on it but as a whole I'm not arguing the point of it being a gaming machine and talking about the pc as a whole for doing a lot of work which a tablet wont do.

As said tablets might get better in the future or they might just die out as a fad. I was trying to defend the pc on a gaming front though because it might not have the freedom of a console "plug and play" it does fair better its just a shame in order to keep the better up some of the parts are expensive.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

But arguing that the PC can do things a tablet can't is a bit like arguing that the Fiat 500 is a fad because it can't do what a Range Rover can.

The range rover is a vastly capable machine but those capabilities are wasted on many of those that own one. Many range rover owners would be better off with something smaller, simpler and cheaper. Many people who don't own one, don't suffer from not owning one.

I have a desktop machine - an iMac - but the fact is, since I got my iPad, the Mac is frequently not switched on for a day or two at a time. That's because it is now only switched on when I need the power of a desktop machine, such as the photo editing I did yesterday afternoon, or the website development I've got coming up this week. None of the stuff I've done since last night has needed my desktop. I have dealt with business invoices, bookings and various bits of admin & moderating on here, all from the iPad.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

As Chris said, PC gaming is a specialist activity.

Yes, you're correct that the graphics and other tech specs of PCs do overtake those of consoles, because PCs can be upgraded while consoles have fixed specs (easier for developers to fully optimise for ;) ). But... most people don't care.

Consoles are simpler & easier than a gaming PC.

Consoles are cheaper than buying & repeatedly upgrading a decent gaming PC.

No need to spend ££££ in the first place, and no need to then spend more again on a new graphics card, CPU, etc., every time things have moved on too far for your PC to keep up. A 250GB 360 is ~ £180, a 160GB PS3 is around £200, and Nintendo is releasing a sub-£100 version of the Wii in time for Christmas. And even though the graphics may not be as good as those of a top gaming PC, again... most people don't care. Uncharted 2 in 1080p on an HDTV still looks pretty damn gorgeous, as do many, many other PS3 & 360 games.

Although some big games are still PC only, or at least have the PC as their lead platform, the majority of big games are developed for consoles - either exclusively, or with a console as the lead platform and a PC version as a port.

The vast majority of game sales are for consoles, not PCs. Even for things such as CoD: Black Ops (the UK's number 1 selling game in 2010... because of console sales, not PC sales).

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/10/bl...f-the-pops-on/

http://www.vgchartz.com/home.php

http://www.vgchartz.com/yearly.php


As for:

"consoles are limited to games and some internet browsing" - Erm, no. Although the 360 & PS3 are gaming machines, they can do a lot more than just that. I can watch Sky TV on my 360, live and on demand. I can watch BBC's iPlayer, Channel 4's 4oD, and ITV's on demand service on my PS3 (not that I'd bother with ITV though ;) ). Hell, I can even watch BBC iPlayer on my Wii. I can buy or rent films in HD on the 360 & PS3. I can watch DVDs on both the 360 & PS3, and BDs on the PS3. I can stream a variety of video and audio formats to both the 360 & PS3, including HD video. They are more than just gaming machines, they are entertainment hubs.

"some new online games lag because the technology of the console finds it hard to keep up" - In what way?

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

They dont have the power needed to keep up, I've tried playing DC universe with my ps3 ended up using the pc to play the game instead.

I know the majority prefer a console and costs but I wont knock back a pc as dead or on its way out not for a long shot. there is just much more flexability with a pc and thats the point I am trying to argue over everything else.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

I still don't see what you mean by "dont have the power needed to keep up"?

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Yes l have a laptop for smaller things and checking the internet and a smartphone for when l am on the move and a PC for games and they are all useful for certain times of the day or week.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

The day of the commercial PC is over. Typical consumers buy a laptop and anyone left builds one. Then in a few years the parts makers will have faded out (of commercial view) and laptops will be suitable for gamers, video processing & editing, etc. because the technology will be there by then.

Then people will want to loose the hinge and tablets will become the norm and I imagine they will eventually become 'the' device, killing off not only laptops, but phones, handheld game consoles, media players and the like.

Long time off though.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Yes a very long time off James.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

I think that mobile gaming via smartphones and tablets is already having an effect on the handheld market. Look at the poor sales of the 3DS, and its subsequent price slash and upcoming re-design. I also expect the new PSP (the Vita) to underperform.

Why would I want to spend money on a handheld console, when I already have a relatively powerful phone or tablet? I don't want to carry *another* device around. Why would I want to spend £30 on a handheld console game, when I can buy loads of phone/tablet games at a quid or two each?

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Lol the fan boys are out in full on here. I can't believe how you can compare a tablet to a console/handheld or pc makes me laugh they are soooooo far behind. maybe and thats a maybe they just might be the "in thing in a good few years" but at the moment they are limited to FB style games so come on lets get real.

The PS3 and Xbox 360 are stuck in 2006 lets face it easy or not for developers and market share they are stuck in a time warp....I would rather stick with my pc for office ability and gaming.....I would rather go with a fad for now "touch screen" has been out before its the latest "teen thing" pc wont go anywhere. Consumers are feeding off the market because its a new thing

A lot of people are upgrading there own pc's or know someone who can do it for them rather than take it to the likes of pc world who would charge you something daft liek £45 to install memory. I mean I even showed someone how to do it at work and saved them a fortune getting someone like PC world to install memory for them and forcing them to buy it from there shop I saved them like £80

I console is great, easy for developers and better for the consumer because they can pay to play and no stupid pc setup to have to fiddle with to get a game to work....on a gaming front the pc is the KING because even with a graphics card I use Geforce 260 GTX (2008) model I got off ebay for £60 with a AMD 3.4ghz quad core cpu runs 99% of games on a 22" monitor at full screen not come across anything yet that slows it down.

So the cost works out at £190 for me personally total cost of my pc is around £1500 but this is over time 2 years I spent £130 on a tower unit most wouldn't but I reckon you could build something similar to me for around £300 and I'm still well above the specs of a ps3 or xbox.

PS3 lags because newer games are too much for the machine this is were the pc is ahead online gaming its meant for these kinds of machines

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Fan boys? LOL. Pot. Kettle. Black. :rolleyes: ;)


Tablets are not limited to "Facebook style games". Perhaps you should actually have a look at the kind of games available. It's not just a load of Farmville type things.

Tablets and smartphones *are* having an effect on the handheld market, and tablets *are* having an effect on the PC market.

So what if the PS3 or 360 are "stuck in 2006"? They still produce excellent graphics, have excellent games, and still utterly wipe the floor with PCs when it comes to numbers of games sold (and cost, and ease of use).

Tech specs really are not the be all and end all. People like you care about them, but most people simply don't give a monkey's - certainly not enough to bother with PC gaming instead of console gaming (side note: another reason the iPad far outsells all its competition in the tablet market - most people simply don't care if a tablet can run Flash or has USB ports or whatever else. So long as it can do what they want - e.g. videos, browsing, games - and is easy to use, then that's perfectly fine for them).

Even if you build your own PC (something the majority don't bother with), it still costs more than simply buying a PS3/360/Wii, and you still need to spend more money on it in future so it doesn't get left behind and become unable to play the latest games.

Consoles are cheaper, and you don't need to upgrade them. A 360 bought in 2005 or a PS3 bought in 2007 can still play the very latest games, which will still look and play great.

Can a PC bought over four years ago - and not upgraded since - play Black Ops, or Deus Ex: Human Revolution, or Batman: Arkham City, or Battlefield 3, or various other games out this year or last year? And how would it compare to the graphics on a 360/PS3?


Newer games are too much for the PS3... In what way?

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

PC does not just refer to a Tower or Desktop unit. It originated with IBMs personal computer and later refers to IBM compatible personal computers. This basically went on to mean any systems with hardware capable of running the windows OS so in short

A laptop running windows is a PC
A netbook running windows is a PC
A Tower/Desktop running windows is a PC
A Tablet "PC" running windows is a PC
and at a stretch seeing as Macs today use the same CPU as windows running PCs you could stretch that most Macs are PCs also ;)

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

You, sir, are a pedant. :p:

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Horses for courses - I have a smartphone, a couple of tablets, a laptop, and a three and a half year old PC (which plays modern games happily on 1900x1200 res); I use them all for different things.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

How many tablets run Windows?

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

My first one did - a Compaq TC1000 tablet in around 2004. ;)

And nowadays, you have http://www.mywindowstablet.com/

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

A tablet existed before the iPad? Blasphemy! ;)


How many tablets from this "generation" run Windows? IIRC, MS wouldn't allow the use of WP7 on tablets, and it won't be until Windows 8 that Windows will support ARM (which powers the vast majority of tablets AFAIK). I doubt that there are very many Windows 7 tablets around at the moment.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Desktops will not disapear, 99.9999999% of business's use them.

The only way I can see them going is if you just connect a screen, keyboard, mouse to a server.

I have connected my PSP & DSi XL to the web but they are limited what they can access.

My smartphone can view a lot of websites with out issues, but screen size is a limiting factor.

Laptops & nebooks are just portable desktops and have limited upgradability.

Desktops problems are there are so many different H/W configurations that there are unlikely to be two identical setups (excludeing business setups).

With technology today you can hide the base unit, connect to a TV screen, connect to a network HDD, and use a wireless mouse and keybord, so I think the desktop wil remain, but hidden.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

I think Desktops in large and medium size enterprises are (or will be) facing strong competition from thin clients running virtual desktops. Thin clients such as http://www.samsung.com/us/business/m...LF19PPBCBNA/ZA . These offer the advantage that not only are they easier (and therefore cheaper) to maintain than a fleet of PCs, but they are easier to secure.

As for your comment about desktops being easier to upgrade. They are, but bear in mind that most home or commercial users will not bother with that. Also, with the adoption of technologies such as USB 3 and Thunderbolt, laptops and thin clients may well end up almost as expandable as Desktops.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

You have got to be kidding ... "tablet" was verging on mis-selling IMO. That generation of machines would have been better described as "flagstone". Awful, unweildy things, running an OS that was most definitely *not* designed from the ground up to support a Tablet.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Simple google finds

MSI windpad
Acer aspire iconica
Zoostorm 3310
Panasonic toughbook
Gigabyte S1080
Elite group Elite pad

think all these run windows 7 http://www.engadget.com/tag/windows%207%20tablets/

How many Tablets run IOS?? oh its 2 ;)

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

About 30 million. ;)

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

fair point :)

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Re. "[tablets] are limited to FB style games so come on lets get real"

Real Racing 2 HD on an iPad 2

Real Racing 2 HD on an iPad 2, connected via HDMI to an HDTV

Infinity Blade on an iPad 2

Dead Space HD on an iPad 2

Rage HD on the iPad 2

These all also work on the iPhone (except for Real Racing, which has a separate iPhone-specific version rather than act as a "universal app").

Other tablets/phones... I'm not an Android user, so I don't know what the games are like for that OS, however the high-end Android tablets (e.g. Xoom, Galaxy Tab 10.1) and phones (e.g. Galaxy S II) have very good tech specs* so should be able to perform similarly.


* For those who like specs: The Xoom and the Tab 10.1 use the Tegra 2 SoC, which has the same ARM Cortex-A9 dual-core CPU as the iPad 2's A5 SoC. Although the Tegra 2's GeForce ULP GPU is not as powerful as the A5's PowerVR SFX543MP2 dual-core GPU, the Xoom and the Tab 10.1 do at least have 1GB of RAM instead of 512MB like the iPad 2. The Galaxy S II uses Samsung's Exynos 4210 SoC, which has an ARM Cortex-A9 dual-core CPU and an ARM Mali-400 MP GPU. All these devices easily outperform the PSP, and I believe also the 3DS. The next Sony handheld, the PlayStation Vita, is going to use quad-core versions of the ARM Cortex-A9 CPU and PowerVRSGX543 GPU... but will raw power be enough for Sony to succeed? The mobile/handheld gaming market is already changing...

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Oh, I totally agree - it had the response time of a doped-up sloth; but it was a tablet.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

I think Chris answered that best ;)


As for those devices... I've never heard of them, and I doubt that many other people have. From a look at that link, they don't sound so great either... Price, weight, ease of use, battery life... None seem to hit the spot with all of those.

For the majority, "tablet" still equals "iPad". Apple owns the tablet market. Android is the only real competitor (webOS is already dead, & the BB Playbook hasn't exactly had very good reviews or sales) but the quality-end of the Android line-up (e.g. Tab 10.1) are too expensive... and lack the name, the brand, the image. Android fanboys, Apple haters, people who really care about Flash (why?), and those who like to tinker or want more customisability or more interface options...they'll buy Android tablets. The rest? iPads...

Windows 7 tablets? Not even worth considering, IMO, from the looks of the above. And by the time MS releases an ARM-compatible version of Windows 8 for running on tablets it will have once again missed the boat.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

I agree totally I was simply pointing out that they do exist. As for missed the boat maybe Intel Amd and Microsoft have all felt the pinch with Apples dominance in the tablet market. They do still have time though its a growth market so who knows.

Also who knows what directions Apple will go in now Jobs has gone might knock the wind out of its sales somewhat ( but I doubt it)

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Much as I love the iPad I do want to see as rich a market as possible for tablets. It's much better for innovation. The dominance Microsoft achieved with its desktop OSes has been very much to the detriment of home and office computing IMO.

I don't want Apple to become the big bad Microsoft of the 21st century, reviled for giving customers whatever is convenient for Apple to give them rather than continuing to innovate.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Apple are already there just look at their petty Patent cases at present

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

That's a sad issue but really has little to do with Apple's dominance of the tablet market. Patent wars are an unfortunate fact of the industry at the moment and all the big players are at it. Google bought Motorola for its patents, not its products.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

I disagree with Apple's current patent lawsuits, and think it's rather stupid of Apple to go after Samsung so much, but as Chris said they are all at it...

http://blog.thomsonreuters.com/index...ic-of-the-day/

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2012/02/21.jpg

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

I prefer my PC. I can,t get used to working without a mouse. So I have to plug the mouse into the laptop. I will stay with my PC

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

In your apparent drive to attack Consoles and Tablets, you've actually hit on the problem that the full blown PC will have in future.

Simply put, the average person can do most (if not all) of what they want to do on a PC on tablets and/or consoles. And it'll probably cost them less ultimately to do it.

Another problem that the PC has is Piracy. Whether Piracy does cause lost sales on the PC or not, that is apparently the perception that a lot of software publishers and developers have. As such, they are increasingly moving development to the consoles, and to some extent, tablets.

Now, I am not a console, PC or tablet fanboy. I possess a good PC (which when I have some money, I am looking to upgrade), a MacBook, an Xbox 360 and an iPhone. All of which are heavily used.

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

There is the rumour that Windows 8 will support playing 360 games which could make a difference

Re: The day of the PC over?
 

Highly unlikely In my opinion though I would love it to be true. It could definitely be a factor for upgrading for me when the OS eventually ships. And I find windows 7 perfect for my needs so something that could push me to upgrade is a big deal. Not for the games themselves but for the cross-platform multiplay that it will hopefully open up. Something that was promised when the 360 was first revealed at E3 IIRC.
It always frustrated me massively that though my cousin and myself both owned supreme commander we couldn't multiplay because I owned the PC version and he owned the 360 version.