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Laptops Outsell Desktops
wintermute1974 writes "According to a new report by Current Analysis, laptops have overtaken sales of desktops for the first time in computing, ever. Figures are for the U.S. market, but presumably this is part of a world-wide trend." From the article: "Notebook prices fell 17 percent during the past year while desktop prices dipped only 4 percent. Some of the features common in most notebooks are longer-lasting batteries, CD burners and wireless capability."
Well, IMHO, this was bound to happen. With those good "desktop replacement" laptops, who wouldn't want to?
They overtook desktops in revenue in 2003.
Of course, as reported on engadget.. first time ever.. since 2003R F1.html?ex=1118030400&en=cb60405e864fa27a&ei=5070
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/03/technology/03TB
My tower has a handle on it. And it weighs in at an incredibly portable 42 pounds.
"Some of the features common in most notebooks are longer-lasting batteries, CD burners and wireless capability"
:) haha
No one who visits slashdot would know that!
Sorry, I just found it funny.
Can your karma go above being Excellent?
Some of the features common in most notebooks are longer-lasting batteries, CD burners and wireless capability.
Yeah. They left out the inability to easily upgrade components. In the last 10 years i have owned +/- 6 computers. One was a laptop that I purchased new. The others were all custom rigs that got upgraded expansion cards, peripherals, memory, etc. when needed. Thus they didn't show up as desktop sales. I am willing to bet that as building machines from components has gotten easier, lots more people have been doing it to get more bang for the buck.
Thing is, with a laptop, upgrading the monitor is impossible and upgrading pretty much anything else is a royal pain and/or too expensive. Thus, laptop users can't take advantage of individual components on the same scale as desktop owners.
my current laptop is a toshiba satelite a75 series. circa end of 2004 batery life: 2 hours on "long life" mode. my very first laptop was a toshiba t-1000 circa 1980-something(late 80's) battery life: hours and hours... how is that a longer life?
now if only they could make it so the damn things don't scorch whatever you sit them on. my lappy is so hot i can't leave it on my lap and i can feel the heat through the bottom of my desk. and the fans are loud enough that i can hear them from another room. give me a tower that i can play w/ any day.
The question that interests me is: are laptops becoming any more durable? One of my main reasons that I bought an eMac instead of an iBook is that the eMac is probably Apple's most durable computer. And I know that laptops tend to be much more prone to failure.
It wasn't so long ago that if you bought a laptop, you could pretty much count on some kind of major failure within three years. I'm wondering if any good research has been done to show whether laptops are closing the gap with desktops in terms of reliability. If they are, I'm pretty sure my next computer will be a laptop.
I'm generally "Interesting," "Insightful," and even "Funny" here. What the hell happens to me at parties?
I would guess that a significant amount of this is due to the increasing number of colleges (and even some highschools) that require students to have laptops.
your thin skin doesn't make me a troll
no, pdas are too small to be of any use, ive had plenty of them to know.
The pepper pad looks pretty neat, but I guess it's not quite small enough to be considered a PDA....
"A truly wise man realizes he knows nothing."
The standard loadout the last place I worked was a Dell 2.4 GhZ laptop with a gig of RAM and a CD burner. The only problem with the system was if you ran it at full speed with it in your lap, you'd end up cooking your weenie, even with the fans on full.
It seems like not many companies are deploying wireless, though, so you still end up with travelling employees roaming the halls like undead zombies, looking for ethernet and power ports to plug in to.
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
in 2003, laptops outsold desktops in terms of revenue. these new figures are in terms of units.
you are forgetting, sir, that only with a laptop can you ensure your entire porn surfing collection and device are with you at all times. especially handy if you have a snoopy female type around.
** "It's not my job to stand between the people talking to me, and the ones listening to me." -- Pego the Jerk
This is for "electronics retailers" which I assume means Best Buy and Circuit City. I wouldn't worry* about being ripped off if you get your PC from them rather than rolling your own. But what I really think this means is that A)laptops are hard (impossible?) to assemble yourself from off the shelf/internet ordered components while it is easy (almost trivial to anyone familiar with computer hardware) to make a desktop.
(* The reason not to worry about it is because you can allready assume that you are getting ripped off.)
I'll never make that mistake again, reading the experts' opinions. - Feynman
So that your computer goes with you but when you need the space and larger screen etc you have it. With wireless you don't even have to mess around with hooking up a crap load of cables. Wireless mice and Keyboards already exist and it wouldn't take that much to create a wireless display system.
I really wonder if wireless interface systems could get ubiquitous enough that you could more or less forgoe the full key board and mouse on the laptop entirely and just make a mobile processing memory unit say the size of a cell phone. Wirelesss interface stations would be all over the place and you could browse the systems in range and log onto yours.
One idea I like about that is being able to test drive systems at a store before you buy it. Wonder if that new monitor has fast enough refresh ? Enough resolution ? Just attach it to the system on your hip and run a favorit movie/game etc... How about the sound quality of those speakers ? How about wondering if that new system will do what you want ? Access files on your current system while demoing a new unit with similar periphials you have at home. Have an automatic interface with your cars computer... no more dealer visits for codes or wondering what tripped the 'check engine' light.
I don't ask you to be me. I only ask you not expect me to be you.
All Apple notebooks are 32-bit G4s so plz stfu.
But this is not just a "desktop replacement" trend. Sure, you can emulate nearly every function on a laptop that you could get in a desktop, but that was true back when too. Sure, the price has gone down, but what's really changed?
I don't think the wireless explosion is getting nearly enough credit here. Now your truly portable PC can take advantage of the most influential and pervasive phenomenon of the 21st century anywhere and everywhere. Coffee shops. Parks. The back yard. The laptops utility has been magnified 100 fold just by the wireless networking trend alone. It's so much more than a portable document holder now. You now have access to real time information anywhere, an unparalleled knowledge base at your fingertips on the go, keep in contact with people friends, family and partners instantly, etc etc etc. Wireless LAN? Standard equipment on nearly every machine now.
I have no doubt the price drop has helped, but the utility and popularity of the laptop has absolutely exploded because of the wireless revolution that is still evolving at this very moment.
You need a FREE iPod Nano
The survey doesn't look like it takes DIY-computers into consideration. You can't build laptops like you can a desktop.
Just a thought I had.
You should never date a woman who objects to your porn collection. Hell, my wife's collection is almost as big as my own. Many an evening of incredible sex has started out with her sitting on my lap surfing porn together.
Why is it that the proponents of "one nation under God" are so eager to get rid of "liberty and justice for all"?
Apple has always been an innovator, but it has never lead the pack because it simply hasn't had those many laptop/notebook models. The advances in laptop technology have been pushed by the demand in PC laptops from Compaq, Dell, HP and more importantly, IBM. IBM has been probably the more innovating integrator of the lot. Apple is a distant catch-up, regardless of their good industrial design capabilities. The ability to have a hard drive the size of a pack of matches, wireless networking or power-saving processors does not come to us courtesy of your "friends at Apple", it comes from the Toshibas, VIAs and Intels of the world being pushed by PC makers with insane consumer-level demand. You honestly don't think Apple makes their own Firewire controllers, eh?
Thanks for the laugh though.
Web2.0: I love when people Flickr my cuil and digg my boingboing until my google is reddit and I start to yahoo
1. Low-end desktops suck so bad, I wouldn't buy one if someone points a gun to my head. Just go to Circuit City or Best Buy and look at them. Do you want to buy this crap?
2. I'm writing this lying on the couch. There's no going back to desktop once you go completely wireless. The only desktop I have is iMac G5, but that's only because I need a good display for digital photography, and iMac display is top-notch. If Apple puts decent panels into the next crop of their laptops, this iMac may go to ebay.
Will this mean higher prices for desktop users? I hope not. I for one HATE with a passion laptops. There great for surfing the web and chatting on aim but for real work I need a desktop. I'm personally much more productive on a larger screen, full sized keyboard, and a comfortable external mouse.
:( :)
:)
I used to lug around A DESKTOP TOWER in order to do my work several years ago. Horrifically inconvenient but a necessary evil.
Getting (and using) a laptop took some getting used to but now I wouldn't use a desktop unless I absolutely have to. My laptop allow me to work anywhere there is an electrical outlet, a chair and a desk. I heard that the laptop I have was one of the first ones to 'cram' desktop computing power in a laptop-sized package--kudos the the laptop manufactuer! (They are Japanese and they put out music and anime 'on the side'. I won't identify them lest I be branded a 'corporate shill' but I will say their laptops are built to last! My boss dropped his laptop several times with the last time borking the LCD display for good. Guess what? The HD was fine throughout all the unintentional abuse and is now working inside a laptop made by a large U.S. computer/business machine firm that shall remain nameless to avoid me being branded a 'corporate shill'.
And to the smart asses who say you can hook all these up to a notebook, yeah but why?
I did that at first then quit. I only hook up assorted data storage devices to my laptop via USB nowadays as these are external peripherals that matter the most to me.
I like my laptop and am glad I was able to get one to use it.
Laptops truly make computing complete and convenient - Ahhhh!
In Australia you can tax deduct 100% of the cost of a laptop in the first year. you can onlydeduct 33% of a desktop in the first year.
As such there is a huge incentive to buy laptops rather than desktops.
lounge around on the blue couch
I actually use both. I have a desktop for doing heavy lifting and storage. It has a huge monitor, gobs of HD, and pretty much everything else. I use the laptop is an accessory, not a replacement. So I only use sub 3lbs units. Great for browsing internet and email in bed or on the go. I'm on it more than my desktop. I'm probably in the minority in this style of use, basically using laptop as a big pda. I can see more ppl computing this way in the future though.
Even if this is in fact the case, and not a result of bad stats, I'm not surprised. Why?
College students. College goers everywhere are convinced they need a laptop for school for various reasons (I'll take notes with it..my desk is small..etc etc) when really what they need is a mini tower with an LCD monitor to accomplish the same or better end. Plenty of colleges require laptops (Which IMHO is so much more a status thing than anything productivity oriented) these days which is no doubt driving up the sales rates as well.
If you can't see the value in jet powered ants you should turn in your nerd card. - Dunbal (464142)
Am I the only one who dreadfully hates touchpads and prefers touchpoints (eraser points, or whatever else you want to call them)?
IBM still uses the touchpoints, but they are really expensive. I really liked Dell laptops, until they went el-cheapo a year or two ago and removed the old legacy ports and the touchpoints at the same time. A few laptops, especially those angled at the business market, still have touchpoints, but they are few, more expensive, and lack the features that I desire.
If Nokia properly markets their new 770, or Archos with their AV series, it'll be all that's needed. Laptops were originally marketed as something you used when you were away from your desktop.
Now we've got a whole new generation of PMP/PDAs that are capable of what laptops were just a couple of years ago, with all the above mentioned stuff AND office apps. Just attach a USB keyboard and you're good to go.
I'm still waiting for a PDA that when plugged into a docking station, will become a full-fledged PC.
Someone MUST have done it right. Come on, it's 2005.
They are the lonely ones stuck off by a power supply in the airport, they are too poor to hide their dislike for human companionship and too cheap to have a beast of a computer at home.
Right, because the people at the airport without laptops are regular chatter-bugs with the total strangers who surround them, and not pretending to re-read the same month-old issue of Newsweek for the third time in a row while nursing a Long Island Iced Tea which cost them eight bucks at the airport bar.
Sorry, but you are full of shit.
The biggest problem with using a laptop in public is not loneliness. It's all the dumbass people who think your use of it is an invitation to talk about computer technology when you would much rather just be doing whatever it was you were using the laptop for in the first place.
(Which is why phase-cancelling headphones are every bit as essential as a laptop when traveling. First of all, it reduces ambient noise slightly, but more importantly, nothing says "fuck off and leave me alone" quite like a good pair of headphones and an LCD screen to bury yourself in.)
"It's really no use these days as most people use the Internet for a lot of stuff. When power goes out, your connection goes with it unless you have a UPS."
I'd rather not be in the middle of saving a file when the power dies.
"Derp de derp."
Laptops are still too slow compared to desktops, especially the hard drives. Laptop drives are not only slower, but you cannot get the same large sizes and the prices are far higher. Then there is the issue of graphics cards. Laptops generall have poorer graphics cards with lower memory. You can put together a far cheaper desktop with good components than you can get in a laptop. Most of the lower end laptops have crappy video with shared memory; they get too hot and have at most 3 hours of battery time. Oh and then there is the problem with the tiny screens. As a programmer, I cannot look at any screen smaller than 17" for a long time. Also, most of those lower end laptops only go to 1024x768 (I need at least 1152x864). These limitations may be OK for Joe User, but I don't think more tech savvy people or especially geeks could put up with them.
Too slow? My AMD 3000+ is not too slow, neither have any of my 1GHz+ machines been.
Laptop disks are smaller yes, I got 80GB 5400rpm in this one. While it is nothing compared to the 500GB I have in my desktop, it is completely sufficient for 99% of the people out there. The average person does not even have something like 10GB apps, 20GB games, 20GB music, 20MB movies and 10GB to spare. With 512MB RAM most people won't need to swap and never really notice the difference. What most people do (chat, surf, music, movies, simple games) aren't IO bound. If you are a pack rat such as you and me, perhaps. The rest, no.
Laptops have graphics cards that are just fine for everything but FPS games. Many people are non-gamers, even more are non-FPS gamers. Chat, surf, play mp3 and avis is enough for many people. Today, almost everyone needs to be on the net. Even in my own family I'm outnumbered two to one by my parents who certainly would do fine.
Laptops are slightly more pricy, but including the cost of an LCD, not impressingly so. I did try to put together a cheap new desktop recently, making it a laptop would add maybe 50% to the cost, no more. For the flexibility of a laptop, that isn't much. It used to be several hundred percent.
If your laptop gets too hot, it is malfunctioning or is a desktop in drag. Typical laptops don't get that hot, because there's more than enough power anyway. It has three hours of battery life versus none, what's your point?
As for size and resolution, that is mainly decided by the laptop size as the screen can not get bigger than the machine. I've used a 12.1" 1024x768 and 15.4" 1280x800 screen, and it is whatever works for you. Seriously, people used to get work done in resolutions far less than that in the early days, it is mostly psychological. By the way, the 15.4" screen is only a inch narrower than my 19" CRT, and is excellent for watching 16:9 movies, better than a 17" CRT. Again, if you are a non-gamer.
Nobody pretends a laptop is everything a desktop could be. But for the average user, I have no problem recommending a good laptop. If you a) need lots of HDD space, b) need lots of screen real estate, c) need fps gaming, laptops aren't for you (or at least not excellent for you). If you're in the huge "other" segment, go for it.
Kjella
Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
Check out these
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http://www.notesys.com/Copies/CNET%207Sep00%20IBM
Dell and IBM were duking it out for for honors of first Windows laptop with wireless a year after Apple had already offered it.
I'm not sure whether Apple make their own firewire controllers but they DID invent the technology:
http://news.com.com/2100-1040-271986.html?legacy=
Finally it is clear to people who have been around for a while that Apple created the template from which almost all laptops are cut today. Check out this article that names the Powerbook 100 as the top gadget of all time.
http://www.mobilemagazine.com/archives/2005/03/th
Admittedly blind fanboyism is not very informative but neither is denying credit where it is due.
I have the same computer. Soon after I got it, I took a flight from Seattle to Vegas. I was typing a document in the airport with the screen on lowest brightness. I continued typing for most of the way on the airplane and by the end I was only down to 69%. These PowerBooks last forever, and I think it is even better with Tiger (more efficient, less processing). Right now I'm on wireless internet and listening to iTunes. I've been at this for like 22 minutes and have only lost 10% battery life. Quite good if you ask me :)
I used to work with laptop developers, so know their problems.
Laptops are not any less endurable than desktops, it is just they get thrown around a lot more. A workstation SCSI disk is very fragile, but you dont throw it the backs of cars, kick it under the seat of the airplane in front etc, etc. Furthermore, vendors dont like unrelaible laptops; the annualized failure rate (AFR) makes the difference between profit and loss on warrantied systems.
What has happened is that the trend towards consumer-centric laptops has eliminated much of the exchangable-IDE drive design of the past. These all-in-ones are robust as they are mechanically simpler. The other big trend is that with two main ODMs in taiwan doing much of the work, a greater level of expertise has built up into doing quality designs.
Now, for an annedote of amusement:
When the first thin-and-flat laptops came out, the AFR went up. This was tracked down to people dropping their laptops while trying to lift them out of bags/briefcases one handed, and losing their grip. The older laptops were so fat and heavy they could be lifted two handed, but the new ones were thin and light enough to be one handed -only nobody had thought of this when it was designed
If you look at today's laptops, they normally have grippy texture on the top and bottom, or some features on the batteries to provide a better handgrip. This is to eliminate the problem.
That's an amusing story but it shows the problem: a robust laptop is not an intel chipset in a box. It is a system designed with ergonomics in mind too.
I have been a PC builder/tweaker for 10 years. My latest system was a water-cooled P4 2.26 GHz overclocked to 2.85 GHz with a water-cooled, overclocked Radeon 9800 Pro. I even had heatsinks on the Radeon's memory and a waterblock on my northbridge. I've been running RAID-0 setups for years now and my mantra for cases was "Bigger = More Airflow = Better"
I say this all as a backdrop to current situation. You see, I talk about this PC in the past tense because I am selling it. I have bought a Dell Inspiron 9300. The 2MB cache on my 1.86 GHz Pentium M makes this processor perform in the same league as a 3 GHz Pentium 4. It is actually faster than my overclocked system in many tasks. The GeForce Go 6800 outperforms my Radeon 9800 Pro (not surprising given the generation difference) and the 1 GB of dual channel DDR RAM allows for plenty of gaming overhead. The 1440x900 widescreen display has native resolution support in many newer games (like Half Life 2 and Riddick.) The 7200 RPM drive, while not comparable to a RAID-0 setup, is still quite zippy and the dual layer DVD burner works like a charm.
So what's my point (other than tooting my horn?) My point is that desktop replacements have truly come of age. There isn't a game on the market now or in the next two years that I won't be able to play comfortably. Given that this little beast runs cooler and quieter than my desktop, there's nothing that I miss. Nothing.