If I can play WoW or any other MMORPG from the comfort of my bed with a tablet then I'll hope and pray that PCs die overnight. Because honestly, I use my tablet for everything nowadays, the only reason I use my PC is for gaming, photoshop, modeling, programming, etc ... (basically, really hardcore task). If I can transfer this workload to a more comfortable and easy to carry medium it would be greatly appreciated. However, tablets are nowhere near powerful enough to replace a pc with an i7 and gtx 970.
First off, I am old enough to disclose that my first PC was the Tandy 1000 I bought at Radio Shack back in the late 80's. I also studied the architecture of the 8088 / 8086 chip. Since then....I have owned and built more PC's then I can remember. On the weekends I listen to a guy on the radio who does a Tech Show. He is very knowledgeable and I respect his opinion the majority of the time.
However, this last weekend he made a bold statement I completely disagree with. He said the PC (as we know it) will go the way of the DoDo bird and not be around in 5 years. He theorizes that everything will be going to "PC Tablets". Sure, the PC market has taken a sizable hit since the IPAD and other tablets have become very popular. However, with the multi-billion dollar video game industry as well as the major players in the GPU / Video cards, there is no way (in my opinion) the PC will die. Thoughts?
-Rig
You're right to doubt him. It makes no sense.
We already have tablets. They serve a very different purpose than PCs do, and it has little to do with computing power (though you can definitely get a lot more computing power from a PC). PCs serve a function you just can't really get on other devices. You have a multi-billion dollar gaming industry, and a good amount of that involves PCs. PCs not only are capable of more computing power, but also function much better as work stations.
Portable devices serve great for tasks that are suited more for travel, or being on the toilet. However you aren't going to be playing a long involved game on a tiny screen. You aren't going to be doing complex video or sound editing on a tablet or your phone. You aren't going to be doing any sort of 3d graphics / modelling / animation either.
Essentially the market is getting more diverse, not less. That is what's happening. Will the PC as we know it change? Absolutely. There are limits to how much power we can get from current tech. There's also been prototypes with different ways of building PCs. But that doesn't mean PCs are going to die in the slightest.
Originally posted by monochrome19 If I can play WoW or any other MMORPG from the comfort of my bed with a tablet then I'll hope and pray that PCs die overnight. Because honestly, I use my tablet for everything nowadays, the only reason I use my PC is for gaming, photoshop, modeling, programming, etc ... (basically, really hardcore task). If I can transfer this workload to a more comfortable and easy to carry medium it would be greatly appreciated. However, tablets are nowhere near powerful enough to replace a pc with an i7 and gtx 970.
You can do some of those tasks on a tablet.
The thing is, why would you want to?
I don't know what capacity you work on such things, but for me I want all the screen realestate that I can possibly get. And that requires some sort of work station. Furthermore, if you're using a stylis (which most artists in that realm do), you need some kind of stable platform to use them on. It doesn't have to be a desk, but it does prevent certain scenarios from being practical. You can try working from a comfy couch, or a cushion, but you'd still need that work station to get anything reasonable done. Which is why, even for simple photo editing, tablets by themselves are usually to clumsy to be practical.
No Tablet will ever meet the criteria of needs that my PC fulfills.
If so it is not the PC that is dead but the Tablet has become a PC (like today Consoles are PCs in standardized Slim Cases with pretty hard DRM - the last real "Console" is the Wii).
The PC will maybe evolve further but in no way go away - there is still no way to go around discrete fully featured Monitors, Keyboards, Mice, etc. and as Long that is the case the PC wont die - at most it will shrink and change format but that is all.
"Torquemada... do not implore him for compassion. Torquemada... do not beg him for forgiveness. Torquemada... do not ask him for mercy. Let's face it, you can't Torquemada anything!"
I find it somewhat ironic that people are posting that there first PC was a e.g. vic20 when - arguably - most of these first "PCs" had no monitor; you plugged them into a television. They were consoles!
I think I am the last person I know with a computer. My parents just junked theirs a few months ago. they were the last holdouts. Everyone I know uses a tablet or their phone. That includes 2 people who own their own businesses with over 30 employees. Although it may never "die" the PC desktop is going away. Turning into much more of a niche product. Try to find a computer desk now days. Very limited.
First off, I am old enough to disclose that my first PC was the Tandy 1000 I bought at Radio Shack back in the late 80's. I also studied the architecture of the 8088 / 8086 chip. Since then....I have owned and built more PC's then I can remember. On the weekends I listen to a guy on the radio who does a Tech Show. He is very knowledgeable and I respect his opinion the majority of the time.
However, this last weekend he made a bold statement I completely disagree with. He said the PC (as we know it) will go the way of the DoDo bird and not be around in 5 years. He theorizes that everything will be going to "PC Tablets". Sure, the PC market has taken a sizable hit since the IPAD and other tablets have become very popular. However, with the multi-billion dollar video game industry as well as the major players in the GPU / Video cards, there is no way (in my opinion) the PC will die. Thoughts?
-Rig
If you have been into PC gaming that long you should know this topic comes up like 5 times per year....every...freaknig.....year.
I don't think we will ever not see some kind of PC in the home in the future. The closest scenario I think would be that homes just have built in PCs or something crazy like that. (I can dream) You just can't do everything you want on a tablet that you want, especially as a gamer. I do think that we will see more and more mobile devices, however. But just ask yourself, do you know anyone with a tablet or a mobile device that does NOT have a PC? I know I don't. Maybe some of them have older PCs, (5 or so years) but they are still there.
One of the biggest factors is battery power as well. Most portable devices that have really heavy duty hardware don't tend to last very long without charging the battery. Oh yeah Tablets tend to be replaced on an almost yearly basis with a new version. That won't fly for a lot of people. I think most people will end up getting an older tablet on the cheap and get a PC that ends up costing less then buying multiple tablets would. If a PC lasts 5-7 years or so, that is probably close to 1500$ worth of tablets or more. Laptops also don't last very long usually unless you don't use them very much or they are INCREDIBLY expensive.
Originally posted by nebb1234 2035 = the singularity = all this will be irrelevant
As governments continue to back engineer alien technology we will see some really nice stuff. :-)
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
Originally posted by Letsinod I think I am the last person I know with a computer. My parents just junked theirs a few months ago. they were the last holdouts. Everyone I know uses a tablet or their phone. That includes 2 people who own their own businesses with over 30 employees. Although it may never "die" the PC desktop is going away. Turning into much more of a niche product. Try to find a computer desk now days. Very limited.
I really don't see governments taking away employees computers and giving them tablets only to use. Some tablets and cell phones are not even allowed in high security areas. Some big businesses are probably still running XP.
Some of my friends have home network servers setup for their families.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
I been gaming since Vic20 days. Computer will live for a long time. If any change I would think they will get smaller in size(pc cases and components like mini-ITX) as time progresses in the long run. I wouldn't be surprise if its small enough to wear with Virtual Reality(Oculus Rift...etc)
Now that is just my personal thoughts on the subject.
It really is quite funny how long it has been since people said PC would 'die out' yet it has never been stronger while the console market as slid downhill.
PC just as default will be incredibly hard to defeat. While it might evolve to perhaps support new technology, it is unlikely to ever really be replaced fully. A system which allows modifications such as replacing hardware or modifying the system with ease will just never fall to something that is so restrictive.
nah it wont die, there are enough of us (way more than all consoles combined) that love our PC gaming, love to build our own machines not be pigeon holed into machines pre designed for us and that realise the mouse/keys combination is by far superior to a controller - the PC will not die but the touchscreen/tablet like machines will become more popular
Look at what happened with windows 8 the supposed new operating system we would all love because it was heavily designed for touch screens, it bombed
There are many many more good years ahead for the PC
Pretty rediculous startement to make by this so called tech radio guy. Businesses alone require something more substantial than a tablet for most day to day tasks currently performed on computers, and while there are areas in business where a tablet can be used I don't see the desktop going anywhere just yet.
As far as gamimg goes, I don't understand poeple playing on laptops, never mind tablets. For me it's simply a matter of screen size. I know big screens can be connected to tablets but really, I'd just rahter have a dedicated gaming PC than fuck about with a stupid tablet and get it talking to my TV. Besides, what if you live in a house with a lot of other people, friends or family and people want to watch the TV, like for a TV show? You're just gonna sit playnig on a tablet or are you gonna fore up your PC and play it on a 24" screen instead?
This Tech expert is full of shit if he really thinks the PC will be gone in 5 years.
I hope not. Desktop PC gaming has a market that consoles can't quite reach and vice versa. Same as handhelds, phones, tablets, arcades, etc. To see one of these mediums go would be unfortunate.
In my world the death of the pc seems very unlikely.
In terms of background, I am a middle aged user who works from home. I live in a large housing community that is predominately middle to upper class and often retired. I have my MCSA and MCTS - DBA along with some other minor certs that make me the go-to support guy for most of my neighbors. My certs are really just hobbies and while I lean towards being an expert user I am in no way a professional.
In my experience I have found that most of my neighbors have actually retired their laptops and returned to using desktops as their primary computer. For travel or more portable uses the tablet or some variation has become much more popular.
The few people I know who still rely on laptops are those whose work requires it for whatever reason.
I myself have an IPAD 2 for streaming shows, skype, facebook etc, an IPAD Mini 2 to take on the road with me and my desktop for gaming.
For home computing and more robust applications like gaming or CAD nothing comes close to having a fully customizable desktop with a full sized keyboard.
I was just at a tech conference round table that focused on the development and integration of emerging storage technologies. There was only optimism that while user habits have changed, the desktop continues to be a strong and relevant market segment.
Just my 2 cents
Del Cabon A US Army ('Just Cause') Vet and MMORPG Native formerly of Trinsic, Norath and Dereth. Currently playing LOTRO.
Comments
You're right to doubt him. It makes no sense.
We already have tablets. They serve a very different purpose than PCs do, and it has little to do with computing power (though you can definitely get a lot more computing power from a PC). PCs serve a function you just can't really get on other devices. You have a multi-billion dollar gaming industry, and a good amount of that involves PCs. PCs not only are capable of more computing power, but also function much better as work stations.
Portable devices serve great for tasks that are suited more for travel, or being on the toilet. However you aren't going to be playing a long involved game on a tiny screen. You aren't going to be doing complex video or sound editing on a tablet or your phone. You aren't going to be doing any sort of 3d graphics / modelling / animation either.
Essentially the market is getting more diverse, not less. That is what's happening. Will the PC as we know it change? Absolutely. There are limits to how much power we can get from current tech. There's also been prototypes with different ways of building PCs. But that doesn't mean PCs are going to die in the slightest.
You can do some of those tasks on a tablet.
The thing is, why would you want to?
I don't know what capacity you work on such things, but for me I want all the screen realestate that I can possibly get. And that requires some sort of work station. Furthermore, if you're using a stylis (which most artists in that realm do), you need some kind of stable platform to use them on. It doesn't have to be a desk, but it does prevent certain scenarios from being practical. You can try working from a comfy couch, or a cushion, but you'd still need that work station to get anything reasonable done. Which is why, even for simple photo editing, tablets by themselves are usually to clumsy to be practical.
No Tablet will ever meet the criteria of needs that my PC fulfills.
If so it is not the PC that is dead but the Tablet has become a PC (like today Consoles are PCs in standardized Slim Cases with pretty hard DRM - the last real "Console" is the Wii).
The PC will maybe evolve further but in no way go away - there is still no way to go around discrete fully featured Monitors, Keyboards, Mice, etc. and as Long that is the case the PC wont die - at most it will shrink and change format but that is all.
"Torquemada... do not implore him for compassion. Torquemada... do not beg him for forgiveness. Torquemada... do not ask him for mercy. Let's face it, you can't Torquemada anything!"
MWO Music Video - What does the Mech say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF6HYNqCDLI
Johnny Cash - The Man Comes Around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0x2iwK0BKM
I will bring this thread back from the dead in a couple years to see who was right.
I find it somewhat ironic that people are posting that there first PC was a e.g. vic20 when - arguably - most of these first "PCs" had no monitor; you plugged them into a television. They were consoles!
If you have been into PC gaming that long you should know this topic comes up like 5 times per year....every...freaknig.....year.
I don't think we will ever not see some kind of PC in the home in the future. The closest scenario I think would be that homes just have built in PCs or something crazy like that. (I can dream) You just can't do everything you want on a tablet that you want, especially as a gamer. I do think that we will see more and more mobile devices, however. But just ask yourself, do you know anyone with a tablet or a mobile device that does NOT have a PC? I know I don't. Maybe some of them have older PCs, (5 or so years) but they are still there.
One of the biggest factors is battery power as well. Most portable devices that have really heavy duty hardware don't tend to last very long without charging the battery. Oh yeah Tablets tend to be replaced on an almost yearly basis with a new version. That won't fly for a lot of people. I think most people will end up getting an older tablet on the cheap and get a PC that ends up costing less then buying multiple tablets would. If a PC lasts 5-7 years or so, that is probably close to 1500$ worth of tablets or more. Laptops also don't last very long usually unless you don't use them very much or they are INCREDIBLY expensive.
As governments continue to back engineer alien technology we will see some really nice stuff. :-)
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
I really don't see governments taking away employees computers and giving them tablets only to use. Some tablets and cell phones are not even allowed in high security areas. Some big businesses are probably still running XP.
Some of my friends have home network servers setup for their families.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
The PC as in desktop PC rather than dying is still evolving. The most exciting segment in my mind is the newest generation SSF Mini-PC's
Intel's Broadwell NUC, and HP's Pavilion mini. Doesn't take much forethought to see where these are headed.
Rather than dead my hope is to see some real graphics power introduced in the mini SFF segment.
The PC began with the hobbyist, thankfully it has managed to cater to all these years.
Death of consoles, sure.
Death of PC, you can't kill one that has no life.
I been gaming since Vic20 days. Computer will live for a long time. If any change I would think they will get smaller in size(pc cases and components like mini-ITX) as time progresses in the long run. I wouldn't be surprise if its small enough to wear with Virtual Reality(Oculus Rift...etc)
Now that is just my personal thoughts on the subject.
It really is quite funny how long it has been since people said PC would 'die out' yet it has never been stronger while the console market as slid downhill.
PC just as default will be incredibly hard to defeat. While it might evolve to perhaps support new technology, it is unlikely to ever really be replaced fully. A system which allows modifications such as replacing hardware or modifying the system with ease will just never fall to something that is so restrictive.
nah it wont die, there are enough of us (way more than all consoles combined) that love our PC gaming, love to build our own machines not be pigeon holed into machines pre designed for us and that realise the mouse/keys combination is by far superior to a controller - the PC will not die but the touchscreen/tablet like machines will become more popular
Look at what happened with windows 8 the supposed new operating system we would all love because it was heavily designed for touch screens, it bombed
There are many many more good years ahead for the PC
Pretty rediculous startement to make by this so called tech radio guy. Businesses alone require something more substantial than a tablet for most day to day tasks currently performed on computers, and while there are areas in business where a tablet can be used I don't see the desktop going anywhere just yet.
As far as gamimg goes, I don't understand poeple playing on laptops, never mind tablets. For me it's simply a matter of screen size. I know big screens can be connected to tablets but really, I'd just rahter have a dedicated gaming PC than fuck about with a stupid tablet and get it talking to my TV. Besides, what if you live in a house with a lot of other people, friends or family and people want to watch the TV, like for a TV show? You're just gonna sit playnig on a tablet or are you gonna fore up your PC and play it on a 24" screen instead?
This Tech expert is full of shit if he really thinks the PC will be gone in 5 years.
It is only 134599th time that PC death was predicted.
LOL
I hope not. Desktop PC gaming has a market that consoles can't quite reach and vice versa. Same as handhelds, phones, tablets, arcades, etc. To see one of these mediums go would be unfortunate.
As to the op...
In my world the death of the pc seems very unlikely.
In terms of background, I am a middle aged user who works from home. I live in a large housing community that is predominately middle to upper class and often retired. I have my MCSA and MCTS - DBA along with some other minor certs that make me the go-to support guy for most of my neighbors. My certs are really just hobbies and while I lean towards being an expert user I am in no way a professional.
In my experience I have found that most of my neighbors have actually retired their laptops and returned to using desktops as their primary computer. For travel or more portable uses the tablet or some variation has become much more popular.
The few people I know who still rely on laptops are those whose work requires it for whatever reason.
I myself have an IPAD 2 for streaming shows, skype, facebook etc, an IPAD Mini 2 to take on the road with me and my desktop for gaming.
For home computing and more robust applications like gaming or CAD nothing comes close to having a fully customizable desktop with a full sized keyboard.I was just at a tech conference round table that focused on the development and integration of emerging storage technologies. There was only optimism that while user habits have changed, the desktop continues to be a strong and relevant market segment.
Just my 2 cents
Del Cabon
A US Army ('Just Cause') Vet and MMORPG Native formerly of Trinsic, Norath and Dereth. Currently playing LOTRO.