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PC Market Could Return To Growth in 2019 (betanews.com)

IDC's latest Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker offers new insight as to why the firm believes the PC market is set for a growth period a few years from now. From a report: Detachable tablets such as Microsoft's Surface line and Apple's iPad Pro will lead the growth as consumers have turned away from laptops in favor of these more versatile computing devices. Last year, 21.5 million of these devices were shipped and the number of units sold could reach as high as 45.9 million in 2021. Notebook computers and mobile workstations are another category that will see continued growth with shipments rising from 156.8 million units in 2016 to 163.7 million by the year 2021. Desktop computers are still decreasing in popularity and that trend is likely to continue with their sales predicted to decrease by 15 million a year leading up to 2021.

94 comments

  1. You must be kidding by 110010001000 · · Score: 3, Funny

    The Surface is going to start selling? Give me a break.

    1. Re:You must be kidding by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It is better than iPad any day.

    2. Re:You must be kidding by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Microsoft is certainly counting on it, it's the cornerstone of their 'dispose of Win32 and lock Windows into the app store by claiming it's for security' strategy.

    3. Re:You must be kidding by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 3, Informative

      I wouldn't say "better", but the Surface Pro is a full computer (real version of Windows) while the iPad Pro is only iOS (good for basic stuff but nowhere near as useful as macOS).

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    4. Re:You must be kidding by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe it's something like how carrying dwarf bread can save you from starvation.

    5. Re:You must be kidding by tepples · · Score: 3, Interesting

      This assumes that Windows 10 S will take off outside the K-12 (primary and secondary) education market. But Windows 10 S can't run Visual Studio or other compilers. (See subheading "Your app generates code" in "Prepare to package an app (Desktop Bridge)".) Without the ability to complete AP Computer Science homework, what makes you think Windows 10 S will take off even in secondary education?

    6. Re:You must be kidding by afidel · · Score: 1

      You just use the 10S machine to login to a VM that wipes on logoff for the small use cases where you need something that doesn't work directly on 10S.

      As far as Surface and ipad driving growth, is IDC on crack? The ipad has been losing volume quarter after quarter and the Surface line hasn't been setting the MS 10Q on fire either.

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    7. Re:You must be kidding by MBGMorden · · Score: 1

      That's what sells it for us. There's no question that the iPad is a superior device, but we have a lot of users that have jumped on the tablet bandwagon and want to have "tablets in the field!?!?!" when there's a whole host of legacy applications they want to use that don't have iPad clients (and likely never will - some of these apps are from companies that are now defunct).

      With a Surface, as long as we can get them working on Windows, they can VPN in and use whatever they of the desktop apps they want to. Sure they interface sucks, but when the user insists that we "make it work" you do what you have to.

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    8. Re:You must be kidding by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Been to an airport recently? Surface Pros are everywhere in the mobile workforce.

    9. Re:You must be kidding by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You could do your AP Computer Science Homework on a phone - it's just very basic Java programs, you can compile them in a browser window on compilejava.net. A full computer would probably be useful for Newspaper or Yearbook or something with more sophisticated layout, and then more obscure uses like Computer-assisted art.

    10. Re:You must be kidding by tepples · · Score: 1

      You could do your AP Computer Science Homework on a phone - it's just very basic Java programs, you can compile them in a browser window on compilejava.net.

      Until you hit your monthly data cap. Or should students in this situation loiter in a McDonald's?

      A full computer would probably be useful for Newspaper or Yearbook or something with more sophisticated layout

      Applications to do those could in theory be ported to Windows 10 S or iOS. I chose AP Computer Science because the JDK is more likely to exceed the limits of such locked-down operating systems.

    11. Re:You must be kidding by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      hmm, I didn't know remote Windows desktops and apps only work on Windows devices at the client side.

    12. Re:You must be kidding by TWX · · Score: 1

      Around here the schools have parts of the campus that are open late hours so that kids that don't have access at home don't have to go pay to be at coffee shops or restaurants in order to have access.

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    13. Re:You must be kidding by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

      Yes. I haven't seen one there either. Nice try though!

    14. Re:You must be kidding by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      Yes they have made billions in revenue for Microsoft already ... outside of slashdot of course.

  2. Orrrr... by CODiNE · · Score: 3, Interesting

    With actual improvements in recent desktop CPUs people might see a reason to upgrade again.

    --
    Cwm, fjord-bank glyphs vext quiz
    1. Re:Orrrr... by jellomizer · · Score: 2

      Well this is return of growth, I doubt that it will reach its heyday of the early 2000's. However we are no longer looking for the PC to be a Personal Computer but more as a Personal Work Station, where Power Usage isn't the limiting factor. Tables, Convertible Laptops, Ultabooks, netbooks.... Are all tied to trying to have long enough battery life, and are small and light. For most home and personal use, this is a good trade off. As normal jobs on our personal computing devices. Don't require have processor lifting. But for Serious Computing professionals and Serious gamers. They PC as a Work Station. Where Power and Size isn't the issue, but how much raw power can you afford is. Being able to hook it up to large High Resolution Displays, with the ability to upgrade components that fail, or become obsolete faster than others.
      Now there is a lot of need for these systems. However they will no longer be a staple in the home and at work for everyone. Your Boss and execs who just view charts and graphs. Would be more than happy with a tablet that gives them the info without having to lug around a large system. But for the Accountants, Engineers, Developers... All those people who actually do the work, needs systems that can keep up with demand, Because the Accountants can always use something that trends a years worth of data faster. Engineers can always have something that renders a complex cad design faster and cleaner. Developers allowing to test compile and test there programs under high loads....

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    2. Re:Orrrr... by Luthair · · Score: 2

      I'm not sure that is the case - what tasks are you using your PC for that are still CPU bound? I'm using an i5-3570k and the reason I haven't upgraded is simply that nothing I do makes the CPU feel slow.

    3. Re:Orrrr... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Recent CPU's aren't exactly an improvement for the home, but rather servers and business what with TDP and energy efficiency.
      Though it does impress me that AMD actually went and slapped Intel in terms of TDP such that Intel is the burning house meme now.

      The true jump in home computer upgrades will come when graphene or whatever hits consumer CPU's and breaks frequency numbers,
      which will hopefully happen in 2050 if we are being optimistic.

    4. Re: Orrrr... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Recent CPU's aren't exactly an improvement for the home, but rather servers and business what with TDP and energy efficiency."

      While you were taking a nap, multithreaded and parallel processing happened. Yes, in software that people use at home.

    5. Re:Orrrr... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      what tasks are you using your PC for that are still CPU bound?

      Different person here, but wow, there is all kinds of CPU bound things I do on my home PC.

      (1) Compiling. As many cores as you can give me please.

      (2) Almost any transcoding related task. As many cores as you can give me please.

      (3) Processing large amounts of files where the processing time is significant compared to the device speed.

      (4) A few games (not most of them admittedly) will take advantage of a lot of cores.

      People use computers for actual computing, not just as Facebook portals...

    6. Re: Orrrr... by Junta · · Score: 1

      The issue being that apart from the fringe overpriced enthusiast market, the core count and frequency have maxed at about 4-ish and even then most of the time software isn't even using those 4 that well.

      On the server side, TDP and core counts have soared.

      On the consumer side, performance has gradually increased, but TDP has gone down at the same time.

      --
      XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
    7. Re:Orrrr... by tepples · · Score: 1

      what tasks are you using your PC for that are still CPU bound?

      The dozens of tracking scripts that load whenever I visit certain websites whose anti-adblock is deliberately incompatible with Firefox Tracking Protection.

      The scripts in the web versions of Twitter, Skype, and Discord are sometimes laggy as well.

    8. Re:Orrrr... by houghi · · Score: 1

      There are basically 3 types of users. Gamers, pro-users and end-users. The last one is the largest group. The first two already use desktops.

      Why would the last group need a PC if they already have a portable. From what I see with friends that are end-users I see various things
      1) Storage. Can be solved with an external SSD or HD or in exceptional cases a NAS.
      2) Bigger screen
      3) Mouse and keyboard.

      If you add those three things, you have a (cheap) PC. And those I would already call heavy users. Most would be ok with just a USB-C docking station with the screen, keyboard, mouse and external HD. A separate PC? Not so much.

      --
      Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
    9. Re: Orrrr... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      True they did max at 4core/8thread for a while, but AMD looks about to change that. We may see affordable 16c/32t soon.

  3. Yeah, and monkeys might fly out of my... by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 0

    Yeah, and monkeys might fly out of my...
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOKociU8t_Q

  4. Re:Thanks To Trump by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm so tired of that typical two-sided pointless american political bullshit. I'd take the moo guy or the app guy instead of this crap.

  5. PC market by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 0

    So why the freakin' Android icon for this thread? Fanboy much?

    Android and iOS are not Personal Computers. Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD, etc are what makes a real computer.

    I'd pick a Raspberry Pi 3 running Linux over an iPad.

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
    1. Re:PC market by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Android and iOS are not Personal Computers.

      They are; they're just unusually shitty, to an extreme that nobody back in the 1980s would have guessed the market would ever tolerate.

      What they didn't know back then, is that sucking is what the market would demand. If it doesn't suck, then we (the overall population) don't want it.

    2. Re:PC market by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Back in the 1980's the market was computer users. Today, the market is not computer users.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
  6. Lack of free trials has hindered iPad Pro by tepples · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Detachable tablets such as Microsoft's Surface line and Apple's iPad Pro will lead the growth as consumers have turned away from laptops in favor of these more versatile computing devices.

    Surface Pro perhaps. But I don't see how an iPad Pro, constrained by the App Store Review Guidelines, is "more versatile" than a PC that can run anything. In particular, the ban on time-limited free trials has hindered ports of applications from macOS to iOS. And even if you stick to free applications, it'll cost you $499 extra if you want to be able to compile them from source because loading applications onto an iPad Pro requires a Mac, which starts at $499.

    1. Re:Lack of free trials has hindered iPad Pro by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sales of the "more versatile" full PCs has been declining. That's what the article is discussing.

  7. dark matters for sure by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the missing monkey hymens speak volumes about our fake 'heritage' & religious underpinnings. some still calling this 'weather'...

  8. Re:sadham & goneforeal show by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 1

    Welcome back to SlashDot, Colorado! How was the weekend?

  9. Re:Thanks To Trump by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How about the Seinfeld Sex Scene guy? He's been pretty good lately.

  10. Android is PC because it has AIDE by tepples · · Score: 1

    Android and iOS are not Personal Computers. Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD, etc are what makes a real computer.

    To me, a "personal computer" is a device where the person who owns it controls what computing is done. By this definition, I agree with you about an iOS device not paired to a Mac. But once the AIDE app is installed on an Android device, it can edit, compile, and run applications from source without the help of any other computer. So how is a tablet running Android 6 or 7 any less of a personal computer than a laptop running FreeBSD 11, Xubuntu 16.04, or Windows 10?

    1. Re:Android is PC because it has AIDE by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Because just like iOS, Android is a toy operating system.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    2. Re:Android is PC because it has AIDE by tepples · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Layne's Law of Debate implies that without agreement on definitions, a debate can't proceed fruitfully. So let's get things cleared up first:

      Android is a toy operating system.

      I put toy operating system into a web search engine and got a bunch of links about hobbyist OS development. Android certainly isn't that. So what do you mean by a "toy operating system"?

    3. Re:Android is PC because it has AIDE by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 0

      I mean operating system that is used by toy hardware (i.e. phones, tablets, etc).

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    4. Re:Android is PC because it has AIDE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's sort of a combination of No True Scotsman and Potter Stewart's "I know it when I see it."

    5. Re:Android is PC because it has AIDE by tepples · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You appear to claim that all "tablets" are "toy hardware". Do you consider the Surface Pro, Surface Book and other detachables to be "tablets" and therefore "toy hardware"? Or would the same hardware be a non-"toy" if running Windows but a "toy" if running Android x86?

      I seek only clarity. If it takes several iterations to define "toy OS" and "toy hardware", I have the patience.

    6. Re:Android is PC because it has AIDE by Cro+Magnon · · Score: 1

      I agree with the above poster. I don't know his criteria, but I consider Android & iOS "toys" because of their limits for real content creations. Great for viewing cat videos, not great for spreadsheet/word processing/programming work.

      And yes, it's the software. It would, IMO, be a toy under Android, and a non-toy under Windows.

      --
      Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
    7. Re:Android is PC because it has AIDE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I consider Android & iOS "toys" because of their limits for real content creations.[...]not great for spreadsheet/word processing/programming work.

      So if somebody compiled your favorite spreadsheet/IDE for Android, which is entirely possible, it wouldn't be a toy anymore?

    8. Re:Android is PC because it has AIDE by Cro+Magnon · · Score: 1

      If it had productive software, multi-windowing, and a usable hierarchical file system, then I'd say Android would graduate from "toy" to real OS.

      --
      Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
    9. Re:Android is PC because it has AIDE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Productive software" - well, I could just as easily dismiss Windows as a "toy" OS based on the lack of availability of XCode for it, but that just seems silly. I don't think it's entirely proper to judge an OS based on third-party software *

      "multi-windowing" - DOS lacked that. DOS was/is a toy OS?

      "[usable] hierarchical file system" - "Usable" is too subjective to be meaningful. Beyond that...ext4 is a toy FS?

      * Third-party software is actually the first item on the list when choosing a platform to use, but this is a discussion thread about fanboy toycalling, not "which OS should I use for compiling the iOS apps I'm writing?"

    10. Re:Android is PC because it has AIDE by Cro+Magnon · · Score: 1

      WRT MS-DOS, I often heard it said that DOS was only a program loader & file manager, not a "real" OS.

      On a "real" OS (Windows/Linux/Mac), I use the file system to organize my stuff. iOS, and last I heard Android, doesn't allow that. What the FS is under the hood is irrelevant.

      --
      Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
    11. Re:Android is PC because it has AIDE by tepples · · Score: 1

      There are plenty of "file manager" apps for Android, though you may have to grant privileges on the SD card to the app first. This precaution is intended to keep untrusted applications from disclosing or defacing critical files.

  11. The Versatile Idiot. by geekmux · · Score: 3, Informative

    How the hell is a tablet or other "smart" device with it's nifty camera and bucket o' apps more versatile than a laptop running a full operating system that has the capability of actually installing software packages from hundreds of different vendors and can be customized considerably more from both the software and hardware standpoint?

    I think the only thing we're becoming more versatile at doing is accepting the fact that consumers have become idiots when it comes to technology, and even a full-fledged operating system is too complex for them to operate.

    Not to mention the fact that consumers apparently love pissing money away replacing their hardware every 2-3 years, which is what the "smart" market dictates. That's really the part that chaps my ass the most. Running hardware for a decade to maximize useful life is practically illegal now. And yet we bitch about filling landfills.

    1. Re:The Versatile Idiot. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      ...consumers have become idiots when it comes to technology, and even a full-fledged operating system is too complex for them to operate.

      Oh, that is absolutely true. Computer user since 1971 here (not on any PC class device at the time). I am constantly dismayed in the modern era when I try to give very simple instructions to someone and they look at me like I'm speaking Martian. I'm not talking about things only a programmer might know, I'm talking about basic operation of the device.

      "Move file A into directory B" -> "Huh? Wuzzat mean? Where's the icon to do that?"

      That's the normal level now. Things have been so targeted to the LCD that most users simply cannot do anything which doesn't already have an icon for them to push. General purpose computation device? Not so much.

      That means to them, a computer is merely a device to get onto Twitter and Instagram. That's it. They see no functional difference between a powerful desktop and a tablet, except that the desktop is bigger and more cumbersome. Hence there is a large consumer movement toward "curated" experiences.

      At this rate of change, in another 10 years I fear general computing will be dead in the consumer space. Maybe even illegal, since it gives too much control to the end user. The genie has to be put back in the bottle, and consumers are playing right along.

    2. Re:The Versatile Idiot. by footNipple · · Score: 1

      Good post! Should've signed in.

    3. Re:The Versatile Idiot. by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      How the hell is a tablet or other "smart" device with it's nifty camera and bucket o' apps more versatile than a laptop running a full operating system that has the capability of actually installing software packages from hundreds of different vendors and can be customized considerably more from both the software and hardware standpoint?

      Versatility in what it's capable of running is only one small part of the adjective "versatile".

      Right now my tablet is far more versatile than my laptop because I'm about to go downstairs and sit at the hotel bar and I'll be damned if I'm going to lug that down there with me. It's just not "versatile" enough for that.

    4. Re:The Versatile Idiot. by tepples · · Score: 2

      At this rate of change, in another 10 years I fear general computing will be dead in the consumer space. Maybe even illegal, since it gives too much control to the end user.

      How would banning general-purpose computers fail to interfere with AP Computer Science, Code.org, and other efforts to train the next generation of coders?

    5. Re:The Versatile Idiot. by kamapuaa · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Isn't that the way it should be? Do the end users need to know how the sausage is made? Most people aren't involved in the computer industry and just want to get a job done, and computers assist in getting the job done. Any time spent mucking about with the OS is time wasted, and a good OS design would be for the user to not have to interact with the OS at all.

      It's not a matter of control and government conspiracies or whatever that last sentence was about. It's about users being willing to give up customization they don't care about to have a more efficient experience. Personally I can't wait until ubiquitous Amazon Echo-type devices make even cell phone screens a bit unnecessary.

      --
      Slashdot: providing anti-social weirdos a soapbox, since 1997.
    6. Re:The Versatile Idiot. by tepples · · Score: 1

      in another 10 years I fear general computing will be dead in the consumer space. Maybe even illegal

      Isn't that the way it should be? Do the end users need to know how the sausage is made?

      Why should it be illegal for someone to learn to make his own sausage from locally raised beef or pork?

      Personally I can't wait until ubiquitous Amazon Echo-type devices make even cell phone screens a bit unnecessary.

      Ubiquitous voice control would only let strangers overhear everything you do with your computing device.

    7. Re:The Versatile Idiot. by Locutus · · Score: 1

      Personal computer 'consumers' have always been luddites and it got worst once Windows 95 shipped and vendors were forced to leave the desktop to Microsoft's whims. People loved the Mac UI mostly because it made sense and had consistency to it and Windows has next to no consistency and has had massive UI chances with every release. People are afraid of the Windows computer and they learn mouse click sequences instead of action methods which could be applied in a generalized way.

      So, yes, consumers have become 'idiots' and have found consistency and simplicity(iOS, Android ) to be attractive and comfortable.

      Aso for replacing computer hardware every 2-3 years that too is mostly a Microsoft Windows thing. The Windows registry bloat, file system fragmentation, system library migrations effecting installed applications, and lets not forget the need for virus protection looking at every bit and byte moving around inside the OS and the horrible Windows Update system. They replace the computer to start fresh.

      So that is the reality today and just a few reasons why Android and iOS tablets and mobiles have become so popular. As for the "PC" market returning to growth, that is a marketing report. There's just not any data showing an increase in skill sets nor data showing an increase in the content creation population. Windows will not lead anyone anywhere and they consistently have lead most to the edge of the cliff where Apple and Google have arrived with lifeboats for many of them.

      LoB

      --
      "Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
    8. Re:The Versatile Idiot. by geekmux · · Score: 1

      ...for replacing computer hardware every 2-3 years that too is mostly a Microsoft Windows thing. The Windows registry bloat, file system fragmentation, system library migrations effecting installed applications, and lets not forget the need for virus protection looking at every bit and byte moving around inside the OS and the horrible Windows Update system. They replace the computer to start fresh.

      I was actually referring to the real limitations forcing users to replace computing devices every 2-3 years; non-removable batteries and vendor support. This of course is by design to maximize revenue.

      And for that reason, we should expect this hardware longevity trend to continue. If the battery starts lasting longer, then vendors will simply stop pushing firmware or security updates and make the device "outdated" in order to maximize revenue.

      Here's a good example. I bought one of those "smart" Blu-Ray players less than 4 years ago. Vendor stopped pushing firmware updates to it long ago, so now almost all of the "smart" capability is no longer supported or functional. There's absolutely zero reason for me to replace the unit when it still functions perfectly as a Blu-Ray player but if I want other functionality, I'm now forced to upgrade it. It's pathetic.

      Greed will always win, and not give a shit about prematurely filling landfills pointlessly.

    9. Re:The Versatile Idiot. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How the hell is a tablet or other "smart" device with it's nifty camera and bucket o' apps more versatile than a laptop running a full operating system that has the capability of actually installing software packages from hundreds of different vendors and can be customized considerably more from both the software and hardware standpoint?

      Versatility in what it's capable of running is only one small part of the adjective "versatile".

      Right now my tablet is far more versatile than my laptop because I'm about to go downstairs and sit at the hotel bar and I'll be damned if I'm going to lug that down there with me. It's just not "versatile" enough for that.

      With every new laptop design weighing in at less than 5 pounds, it's not really something you have to "lug" around.

      A 10-year old laptop would be considered a Crossfit workout to a Millennial.

    10. Re:The Versatile Idiot. by Cro+Magnon · · Score: 1

      My tablet is certainly more portable than my laptop, but not more versatile. Maybe in some situations the portability is more important to me. But in many cases, I'll wait until I get back to my laptop/desktop so I can take advantage of its superior versatility.

      --
      Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
    11. Re:The Versatile Idiot. by geekmux · · Score: 1

      ...It's about users being willing to give up customization they don't care about to have a more efficient experience.

      Speaking of what people don't care about, in exchange for a little efficiency they're giving up control and destroying every shred of privacy with it. This is what people are actually giving up, so let's drop the sales pitch already.

      It would be a different argument if next-gen technology were not doing this, but that is not the case, and it never will be. The profit genie is out of the bottle, and monetizing your digital soul is the way business is done today, whether you like it or not.

      Personally I can't wait until ubiquitous Amazon Echo-type devices make even cell phone screens a bit unnecessary.

      Well, at least you've clarified how you feel about privacy being unnecessary. Welcome to your future. I hope you like it, 'cause if you don't, the masses don't care anyway.

  12. Wait. What? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    From TFS:

    consumers have turned away from laptops

    Hmm. But then

    Notebook computers and mobile workstations are another category that will see continued growth

    I thought notebook computers and laptops were one and the same? But, I don't work at an IT analyst firm.

  13. More versatile? Surely you jest! by QuietLagoon · · Score: 1

    ... Microsoft's Surface line and Apple's iPad Pro will lead the growth as consumers have turned away from laptops in favor of these more versatile computing devices. ...

    I find the tablet form factor to be far more restrictive and more difficult to use than a laptop. The only things the tablet has in its favor are smaller size and a coolness factor. Aside from that, it is more difficult to enter data into a tablet, multitasking is difficult (if not impossible), you are locked in to a difficult-to-change configuration, etc.

    .
    I have a tablet, and it sits idle most of the time, while my laptop gets used frequently.

  14. Work on the bus by tepples · · Score: 2

    If work is for the office, and battery power is for viewing things made by others, where does this leave people who do work while riding a bus, train, or airplane? For example, while commuting to and from my day job on the city bus, I work on my second job, which is work-from-home contract programming. And I prefer a smaller laptop because it's easier to carry than a 17" monster.

    1. Re:Work on the bus by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      I am not following you. You can use lower powered systems for serious data processing work too. However the point of the article is the growth of the PC. And my point is that it won't be as big as it was, but there is still a need to use it. If you need a small laptop, with has more power than a tablet. That is fine...
      We still have Mainframes in operation today, it isn't like a new technology will kill off an older established one any time soon. However sometimes we need or could take advantage of more power. But every job is different. So you are doing some development and a laptop with a small 13" screen which is light and portable, can be a benefit to you. However if there is some big data crunching that you will need to do. A Desktop System may be able to process the data in minutes vs. hours.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    2. Re:Work on the bus by tepples · · Score: 1

      I agree with the point of your post that heavy duty computing is better on a desktop. But:

      If you need a small laptop, with has more power than a tablet. That is fine...

      Until companies that make small laptops stop making small laptops.

      So you are doing some development and a laptop with a small 13" screen which is light and portable, can be a benefit to you.

      I prefer even smaller than 13", which is hard to find warranted nowadays without going all the way down to detachable tablets.

    3. Re:Work on the bus by knorthern+knight · · Score: 1

      > Until companies that make small laptops stop making small laptops.

      Dell disagrees. 329.99 pesos^H^H^H^H^H Canadian dollars (approx $250 US) for an Inspiron 11 3000 with 4 gigs of RAM. http://www.dell.com/ca/p/inspi...

      1366x768 11.6 inc screen is OK. The 32 gig eMMC drive may suck for capacity, but is reasonably safe from damage when the bus is travelling on a bumpy road. At home, plug in an external USB hard drive to a USB port (2.0 or 3.0). Or use a USB key. 256 gig keys are reasonably priced nowadays.

      --

      I'm not repeating myself
      I'm an X window user; I'm an ex-Windows user
    4. Re:Work on the bus by tepples · · Score: 1

      Inspiron 11 3000

      Thank you. Better yet: Canonical claims Linux works.

  15. Competition by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    What we need is more progress on the CPU front. AMD has 16-core processors but nothing similar on Intel's side. If only they could come up with a "Core i9" or something.

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
    1. Re: Competition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And then charge $1000-$2000 for the privelage to use it.

  16. implosion of the desktop PC :( by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Desktop computers are still decreasing in popularity and that trend is likely to continue with their sales predicted to decrease by 15 million a year leading up to 2021.

    That matches what I see in local friends. They don't want desktop PCs. At all.

    That's sad because eventually there won't be enough market to sustain it without parts becoming very expensive, like they used to be before PCs became a consumer level device.

    And that's sad because desktop PCs are the only decent gaming platform. Laptops and tablets don't have the grunt, and anyway the screens are too small. Consoles are DRMed out the ass, locked down spyware platforms with horrible controllers compared to kbd+mouse.

    I am afraid we could lose the last good gaming platform left, if too many people move off the desktop, which appears to be the trend.

    1. Re:implosion of the desktop PC :( by MBGMorden · · Score: 1

      There's enough of an enthusiast segment to support that market. Prices may go up a bit, but not to the point of putting it out of reach. Just look at other specialized pursuits like auto racing and such where the vast majority of the general populace doesn't by the parts but enthusiasts do.

      Personally, even outside of gaming I doubt I'll ever give up my desktop. Granted, I've got a laptop too for my portable needs, but when I'm at home I can't STAND the laptop form factor to the point that when my desktop broke a year or two ago and I had to wait a week for replacement parts to arrive, I used my laptop connected to the desktop mouse, keyboard, and monitor so that it still "felt" like a desktop aside from the speed.

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
  17. Definitely laptop market will grow. Easy call. by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 1
    We just saw in the other thread, Microsoft has started calling tablets without cover, without keyboards as "laptops". So no matter what, we would call what sells well as laptops and that would get laptop market segment to grow.

    Well, at least it will be reported as growth to the stock market, and the flurry of trades will be enough for these executives to dump their stock options and return normal state from the excited state.

    --
    sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
  18. VR is the driver by btroy · · Score: 0

    VR is driving the PC Market (at least the power segment)

    Improved resolution 4k, UHD are also driving improvements. Modernization of the monitor (not 1080p) is also helping.

    1. Re:VR is the driver by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I disagree.

      VR is a very useful tool, but the virtual machine environment takes up resources, and they are under the control of those that manufacturer the Hypervisor.

      I have a machine that is all VR for testing, but I also have a power machine that I simply re-image to whatever OS or NOS that I need; that way I have all the advantages of the hardware and none of the disadvantages of the software.

  19. People who create vs. people who view by tepples · · Score: 1

    To me it says one of two things:

    • A. Users of computing devices have turned away from laptops to chase the tablet fad but will soon return to laptops.
    • B. "Consumers", or people who use computing technology primarily to view works created by others, have turned away from laptops, but people who create works will soon return to laptops after experiencing the limits of the iPad and iOS platform.

    People use "consumer" to mean a lot of categories of users. Most are unflattering.

    1. Re:People who create vs. people who view by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tablets are decent as a small-screen TV, I guess, but why wouldn't you want a keyboard with the air form factor. It's much more versatile to carry around.

    2. Re:People who create vs. people who view by tepples · · Score: 1

      A touch-operated tablet is easier to use while standing.

  20. As always... by Junta · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Organizations like Gartner and IDC can provide data about the past and the present. When they start claiming they have any insight into the future whatsoever, ignore them. Their track record for predicting things is either unimpressive (predicting the obvious) to hilariously incorrect (any time they project a hyped technologieshttps://apple.slashdot.org/story/17/05/29/1613217/pc-market-could-return-to-growth-in-2019# future).

    --
    XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
    1. Re:As always... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Look at Gartner predictions about OS X, and the future of Apple, from the late 90s. Gartner itself is the company that needs to go away. That people there make money being so wrong, they should be in weather forecasting.

  21. Logging into a VM by tepples · · Score: 1

    You just use the 10S machine to login to a VM that wipes on logoff for the small use cases where you need something that doesn't work directly on 10S.

    Let me know when Microsoft Virtual PC, VMware Player, VirtualBox, or any other VM software is available in the subset of the Windows Store that Windows 10 S can access. Microsoft disclosed 11 days ago that not every application in the Windows Store will run on Windows 10 S, and Linux distributions are among the applications that do not.

    If by "login to a VM" you instead meant through something like RDP, then who is covering the recurring cost of the student's home Internet access, particularly students whose parents are poor or live in a rural area? Or if the student is instead expected to complete his homework on the school's WLAN, presumably after classes have ended for the day, who is covering the cost of transporting the student home after hours? School buses leave for the day soon after classes end.

    Besides, if the VM "wipes on logoff", how would the user save his work between one run of the VM and the next, such as for a large project in AP Computer Science?

    1. Re:Logging into a VM by afidel · · Score: 1

      Besides, if the VM "wipes on logoff", how would the user save his work between one run of the VM and the next, such as for a large project in AP Computer Science?

      They'd save it to their home drive like any other multi-user system since forever.

      As far as the cost of internet connectivity, there's the lifeline program for those that are on any of these assistance programs which should cover anyone up to a few times the poverty level.

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
  22. Wacom tablets; multi-window multitasking by tepples · · Score: 1

    Aside from that, it is more difficult to enter data into a tablet

    It depends on what kind of data. Wacom makes good money on it being easier to enter arbitrary curves in the unit square into a tablet.

    multitasking is difficult (if not impossible)

    Android has long supported a multitasking execution model, albeit with an "all maximized all the time" window management policy. If by "multitasking" you meant "multi-window", I largely agree. But Samsung's branch of Android has supported split-screen display since fairly early iterations of the Galaxy Note, though applications have to explicitly opt into split-screen using Samsung-specific manifest flags. For example, Chrome and Skype support it, but Discord doesn't. I admit that stock Android lagged in adopting this; it didn't get split-screen until 7.0 "Nougat".

  23. Touch the screen, touch my junk by tepples · · Score: 1

    Been to an airport recently?

    That might be it. Because of the intrusive security theater measures required by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, it's become common for some residents to make excuses to avoid flying at all.

  24. My next purchase by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Definitely, I'm sure my next machine is going to be a PC again. I'm going to aim for PC + TV + Chromecast + Wireless Keyboard combo so that I can work from both my desk and bed.

  25. Ride home after doing homework at school by tepples · · Score: 1

    Around here the schools have parts of the campus that are open late hours

    How do students who stay late to use the school's WLAN commonly get home after the school buses have already left? City bus?

    1. Re: Ride home after doing homework at school by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are you familiar with how college works? Some kids LIVE on campus, while others live close. Some bike to school, some walk, some catch a bus, some even have **gasp** cars.

      Sorry I had to be sarcastic.

    2. Re: Ride home after doing homework at school by tepples · · Score: 1

      You could do your AP Computer Science Homework on a phone

      Are you familiar with how college works? Some kids LIVE on campus

      Are you familiar with how high school works? "AP" refers to Advanced Placement, a brand of college prep courses taught in high school. Unlike colleges, high schools tend not to be boarding schools.

      some catch a bus

      School buses leave the high school once a day.

      some even have **gasp** cars

      This is less practical for a high school student than for a college student.

    3. Re: Ride home after doing homework at school by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are you familiar with how high school works? Most kids LIVE with their parents and ride school buses. Most don't live close enough to walk, and only the rich ones can afford cars.

  26. In other news.... by swschrad · · Score: 1

    unicorn ranches report a record year, after changing their feed delivery system of rainbows and good wishes to use flying pigs to refill the golden troughs.

    --
    if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
  27. DUH. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Power Users are tired of Microsoft and Apple grabbing up too much control of their computers, so PC Builds is the only way to fully customize it. Even if some aspects are STILL too much in control of Intel, AMD, Microsoft or Apple.

    The first thing I do is RTFM. Followed by cutting any antennae leads and installing a set of jumper post on it.

  28. PC story with Android logo? by PJ6 · · Score: 1

    Have I missed something? I don't get it.