Palm Pilots *may* have been fantastic but they were not a product for the masses. At the time, these devices were known as PDA's because they were niche, focused products that addressed a specific need. They were not general purpose computers that smartphones are now. GP is right, the hardware just wasn't there yet.
Well yes. I guess in that sense, the PC really is already dead then because a PC, to me, means modularity and "hackability" more than anything else.
Still, though. I have helped many non-techies build a computer. I think that most people know it is possible and will do it if they have the right people around them.
I witnessed the birth of the PC and I will be around for its demise. Interesting times.
I recently (this month) got an Android phone. The last time I had one it was Gingerbread and I didn't really like it all that much.
One of the "improvements" which kind of freaked me out was when I walked by a place and Google wanted me to review it. I still haven't disabled location services because I am curious to see what all of this information gathering can do for me. For example, the traffic notifications are ok... not super useful to me (I use public transit), but kind of neat, especially the travel time estimates. It shows that they are trying. It does sort of make me feel like I am part of something bigger. Yeah, I am giving up some privacy... I always consider turning off my GPS and wifi and BT when I leave the office or my home but then I am like... meh, I'll just forget to turn them back on again.
One of the nice features of the Windows Phone was when you turned off these things it would allow you to set a time when they would automatically turn back on (10 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 8 hours, etc).
I do love Windows Mobile, but I finally gave in and got an Android. MS is moving all of their consumer apps over there anyway.
I asked my family if anyone wanted my old Lumia 920 with Windows 10 on it. My sister, despite sever warnings, took me up on the offer. Then, at thanksgiving she is like "I can't get any apps on it..." I was like "I told you...." I have a feeling I will be getting it back at some point. Perhaps an Android is in her xmas future...
MS has always been a business first company. Their attempts to break into the consumer market have had a spotty record at best.
But the consumer market is not their forte and is not, nor ever has been, their primary money maker.
Windows mobile definitely has a place still, but it is not in the hands of consumers. It will be on bar code readers in warehouses, in cop cars, in airline ticketing systems, in transportation systems, etc, etc.
As an investor, I am sure you learn to read between the lines.
What is probably meant by "What we are going to do is focus that effort on places where we have differentiation" is that MS will work with their big clients to customize their mobile offerings to meet their needs.
Also, their push toward UWP apps and continuum is a longer term strategy of convergence. Eventually, phones will take over from PCs.... not for at least a few years, but when they do, MS will have been unifying their platforms all that time so will be poised to take advantage.
I think when mobile matures to the point of being fully functional as a PC replacement you'll see the bottom of the PC market fall out all at once.
It will never be as fully functional as is.
To be as functional, you would need a full sized physical keyboard and at least 1 large (19" or greater) monitor.
So... a phone, as it is, will never be as functional as a PC. At least not until we have a way to interface better than with a tiny touch screen.
The PC market will die as soon as a phone sized device is able to drive 5760x1080 or higher screen resolutions while rendering modern 3d or virtual reality content at 60fps or higher.
Either that or the computational power of the cloud becomes so ubiquitous and inexpensive, that you don't need anything more than a dumb terminal and a lot of bandwidth. All of the content and computations will be done on the back end and you will only see the result of that streamed to your device like an interactive TV show. This still has the interface problem though.
So, my feeling is that the death of PCs will come when:
- Bandwidth is basically free AND - Cloud computing is basically free
or
- Better interfaces are designed for mobile devices AND - Mobile devices and PCs reach parity in performance (use the same chips or whatever we are using by that time)
Yes, this is what invariably causes one to put their baby in the oven instead of the turkey whenever any amount of marijuana is introduced into their system.
You sound like someone who resents paying taxes. Well, welcome to the club.
However, is there any proof that the majority of medicare or other social safety net recipients are drug users or end up being treated for drug related illnesses?
How many other people are hurt and killed in the illegal and therefor unregulated drug trade?
If you are so concerned about other people, you should be thinking of them too. Every day that drugs are illegal, there are people being abused and killed.
Also, cars kill more people than any drug. Should we ban the use of cars?
If adoption of the OS comes even close to 50% in Russia, wouldn't that mean that it would be a viable (as in lots of apps) OS for the rest of the world? I like the idea of a 3rd real contender in the market.
All I know is that I have worked out very heavily at times in my life and while I did lose weight, I was never considered "thin". I am just the bulky type who will always have belly fat even if I am super healthy.
My sister is the same. She works out for hours a day and she is strong and fit, but still has a bigger body type.
I work with a guy who is an avid runner and he is pretty large but can run for miles.
Simple gut bacteria "transfusions" (literally putting poop in a pill) from a thin person have worked before. (Even the reverse by accident has caused weight gain!)
Wait.... "by accident"? As in, I accidentally ate your poop?
Slashdot Mirror
It's pining for the fjords
Palm Pilots *may* have been fantastic but they were not a product for the masses. At the time, these devices were known as PDA's because they were niche, focused products that addressed a specific need. They were not general purpose computers that smartphones are now. GP is right, the hardware just wasn't there yet.
Well yes. I guess in that sense, the PC really is already dead then because a PC, to me, means modularity and "hackability" more than anything else.
Still, though. I have helped many non-techies build a computer. I think that most people know it is possible and will do it if they have the right people around them.
I witnessed the birth of the PC and I will be around for its demise. Interesting times.
I recently (this month) got an Android phone. The last time I had one it was Gingerbread and I didn't really like it all that much.
One of the "improvements" which kind of freaked me out was when I walked by a place and Google wanted me to review it. I still haven't disabled location services because I am curious to see what all of this information gathering can do for me. For example, the traffic notifications are ok... not super useful to me (I use public transit), but kind of neat, especially the travel time estimates. It shows that they are trying. It does sort of make me feel like I am part of something bigger. Yeah, I am giving up some privacy... I always consider turning off my GPS and wifi and BT when I leave the office or my home but then I am like... meh, I'll just forget to turn them back on again.
One of the nice features of the Windows Phone was when you turned off these things it would allow you to set a time when they would automatically turn back on (10 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 8 hours, etc).
In my case they would know where I work, live and get groceries... I have a boring life.
prepaid CC FTW
https://help.uber.com/h/cf7e93...
I do love Windows Mobile, but I finally gave in and got an Android. MS is moving all of their consumer apps over there anyway.
I asked my family if anyone wanted my old Lumia 920 with Windows 10 on it. My sister, despite sever warnings, took me up on the offer. Then, at thanksgiving she is like "I can't get any apps on it..." I was like "I told you...." I have a feeling I will be getting it back at some point. Perhaps an Android is in her xmas future...
The end all be all is not consumer devices.
MS has always been a business first company. Their attempts to break into the consumer market have had a spotty record at best.
But the consumer market is not their forte and is not, nor ever has been, their primary money maker.
Windows mobile definitely has a place still, but it is not in the hands of consumers. It will be on bar code readers in warehouses, in cop cars, in airline ticketing systems, in transportation systems, etc, etc.
As an investor, I am sure you learn to read between the lines.
What is probably meant by "What we are going to do is focus that effort on places where we have differentiation" is that MS will work with their big clients to customize their mobile offerings to meet their needs.
Example: https://www.onmsft.com/news/35...
Also, their push toward UWP apps and continuum is a longer term strategy of convergence. Eventually, phones will take over from PCs.... not for at least a few years, but when they do, MS will have been unifying their platforms all that time so will be poised to take advantage.
Well. the nice thing about a PC is that it is modular, you can replace the parts that wear out.
I am still rocking my AMD 8 core rig from 4 years ago and it still runs modern 3d games at a decent frame rate at 5760x1080 resolution.
I expect the hard drives, GPU and power supply will last through at least another rev of the hardware when I replace the mobo, ram and CPU.
Or... you know.... keep your phone in the other room.
As the old adage goes: "Let's cross that bridge when we come to it"
Can we stop complaining about things that may possibly is some crazy parallel universe happen?
I didn't vote for the guy but can we at least wait until he is in office and doing stuff before we jump off the deep end?
I think when mobile matures to the point of being fully functional as a PC replacement you'll see the bottom of the PC market fall out all at once.
It will never be as fully functional as is.
To be as functional, you would need a full sized physical keyboard and at least 1 large (19" or greater) monitor.
So... a phone, as it is, will never be as functional as a PC. At least not until we have a way to interface better than with a tiny touch screen.
The PC market will die as soon as a phone sized device is able to drive 5760x1080 or higher screen resolutions while rendering modern 3d or virtual reality content at 60fps or higher.
Either that or the computational power of the cloud becomes so ubiquitous and inexpensive, that you don't need anything more than a dumb terminal and a lot of bandwidth. All of the content and computations will be done on the back end and you will only see the result of that streamed to your device like an interactive TV show. This still has the interface problem though.
So, my feeling is that the death of PCs will come when:
- Bandwidth is basically free AND
- Cloud computing is basically free
or
- Better interfaces are designed for mobile devices AND
- Mobile devices and PCs reach parity in performance (use the same chips or whatever we are using by that time)
Except smoking pot has the same social issues as smoking tobacco
Smoking weed is so 1970's. It's all about the edibles....
Yes, this is what invariably causes one to put their baby in the oven instead of the turkey whenever any amount of marijuana is introduced into their system.
You sound like someone who resents paying taxes. Well, welcome to the club.
However, is there any proof that the majority of medicare or other social safety net recipients are drug users or end up being treated for drug related illnesses?
You mean you've never known anybody who preferred pot to holding down a decent job to provide for his or her family?
As if those are mutually exclusive?
How many other people are hurt and killed in the illegal and therefor unregulated drug trade?
If you are so concerned about other people, you should be thinking of them too. Every day that drugs are illegal, there are people being abused and killed.
Also, cars kill more people than any drug. Should we ban the use of cars?
I one up your lyrical quote: "You don't get something for nothing. You can't have freedom for free."
If adoption of the OS comes even close to 50% in Russia, wouldn't that mean that it would be a viable (as in lots of apps) OS for the rest of the world? I like the idea of a 3rd real contender in the market.
All I know is that I have worked out very heavily at times in my life and while I did lose weight, I was never considered "thin". I am just the bulky type who will always have belly fat even if I am super healthy.
My sister is the same. She works out for hours a day and she is strong and fit, but still has a bigger body type.
I work with a guy who is an avid runner and he is pretty large but can run for miles.
Do you want this to not work? What if it does? Will the sanctimonious need to find a new target to deride?
I think that if it does work, it will increase the gap even further. Why aren't you thin? Just take the pill you slob...
Simple gut bacteria "transfusions" (literally putting poop in a pill) from a thin person have worked before. (Even the reverse by accident has caused weight gain!)
Wait.... "by accident"? As in, I accidentally ate your poop?
Your recent post on the Internet has flagged you for the employee improvement plan...
Apparently the guy survived a 12 story drop... what makes you think that suicide nets aren't already implemented?