Flight of the Desktops

theodp writes "Slate's Farhad Manjoo has seen the future of computing, and it's looking mighty bleak for desktop computers. In the last decade, portable computers have erased many of the advantages that desktops once claimed while desktops have been unable to shake their one glaring deficiency — they're chained to your desk. Last year, sales of laptops eclipsed sales of desktops for the first time, and it's been projected that by 2015 desktops will constitute just 18% of the consumer PC market."

Comments

Does it have a monitor and full-size keyboard?

[Wee]

If so, I'll buy the premise. If not, it's stupid.

Oh, I'd like a mouse as well.

-B

Re:Does it have a monitor and full-size keyboard?

[Hognoxious]

It's by theodp. Mindless speculation and unjustified hype. Just ignore it.

Re:Does it have a monitor and full-size keyboard?

[Joce640k]

Yeah, but:

a) "Decent" laptops are way too heavy to carry around. Once you've tried a netbook there's no going back.

b) You still have to plug them in if you're going to do a full day's work.

c) You can't adjust distance between screen/keys or raise/lower the screen or tweak the ergonomics in any way.

d) Nasty laptop keys vs. Model M ... you decide.

The article may turn out to be correct for home users but it makes no sense at all in the corporate world.

But that is now

[SuperKendall]

The only chance of beating my desktop a mobile device would have is when it's equally priced, transportable, but can be quickly and easily "docked" in so I can use my real screens, keyboard, mouse and speakers.

But that is most laptops today. If you really need a larger screen, you can use an external monitor. When you go to a fixed working location, you can have mice and keyboards and whatever all set up... the one thing you don't really need, is a great big CPU box.

I personally don't even need any of that. I work entirely on a laptop, when I need more space well that's what virtual desktops are for. I find working without a mouse not hampering in the least.

Re:But that is now

[DavidTC]

and anyone interested in anything more than browsing and IM'ing people pictures of their dicks

That's right, this article is crazy, laptops will never get more that 90%-95% of the marketshare! Only the vast vast vast majority of people who just want to use the internet and run Word and store pictures will buy them! The tiny minority that actually upgrades their own computer won't buy them!

Also, passengers cars will never catch on...how will people move around their pianos?

Seriously, half the people here seem to be in a weird sort of denial. Probably because they either think their computer speed is directly related to penis size, or they consider the intelligence to upgrade their computer related to it.

Sane people have realized desktop computers were going away for quite some time, as are the CPU-speed wars. Computers have, and will continue to, get lighter and quieter and more energy efficient, not faster. And, thus, laptops will continue plummeting in price.

Desktops last and are cheap to repair

[LambdaWolf]

It will still be many years before laptops are as durable and easy to repair as desktop computers are. Laptops are built with everything crammed close together on the inside. Even a small kinetic shock can damage a part, as can minor overheating from a ventilation problem. Repairing them yourself is quite risky unless you're a hardcore hardware geek, and expensive if you have a pro do it.

Desktops, conversely, have lots of empty space on the inside; they are easy to open up and reach into if you want to swap parts around or clean dust. (At least, the ones I've had are. I can't speak for Macs.) I've had the same desktop computer for six years. It's suffered a dead graphics card, a dead sound card, and a dust-choked fan that caused a CPU overheat. I repaired each of those problems in no more than a few hours each, and gave it a RAM upgrade too. I love my laptops too, but there's no replacement for having a machine you can safely upgrade yourself and won't break by dropping six inches. Laptops may outsell desktops but they won't drive them out of the market completely—at least, they'd better damn well not.

Re:No notebook in my near future.

[BoberFett]

Near future, perhaps not. But what if you could take your iPhone/AndroidPhone version 15 and set it on your desk next to a a pair of monitors, keyboard and fancy speakers and this FuturePhone would detect the devices and ask if you want to use them as your display/input/sound devices. When you're done, just pick up your phone and walk away without skipping a beat.

Give it 10 years, I could see this being how we work.

Re:That's their main problems

[jedidiah]

> People are not engineers: they buy air conditioners, refrigerators and cars. Very few people can design, build and service them.

It's not about being an "engineer". It's about taking responsibility for yourself and not buying into American anti-intellectualism where it's actually trendy to be helpless and stupid.

It's so trendy to be helpless and stupid that you're discouraged from knowing enough to even recognize a well made device.