Desktop Computers

[Topaz]

I just this article and I really can't believe this and I just replace mine a couple days ago. It was only 2.5 years old but Future Shop were I bought ended up replacing the monitor, tower, keyboard and mouse. Thirs World countries don`t make the best makers, where most come from. Anyway, do you believe the desktop will be gone I think some people like me will as long as they make them then, its the laptop, no thank you to the phone bit that`s for the younger generation. http://ca.tech.yahoo.com/blogs/the_working_guy/rss/article/4379

[Guest TrueMetis]

Not going to happen these guys are only thinking about computers for work they forget about gamers. Try getting a gamer to play WoW on a Iphone. If laptops get good enough they may switch to that but most gamers prefer desktops.

[Bonam]

Desktops will remain a good amount of time yet. They may certainly be right that a majority of the market will shift away from desktops, but there will remain some uses for desktops.

Specifically, desktops are of use to gamers, where you need the full size tower to provide proper cooling for all of the high powered components, especially modern graphics cards. Even more importantly, you need the fastest possible CPUs which will always find a home in larger desktop machines rather than laptops for a variety of work-related tasks, whether it is video editing and compression, mathematical simulations, 3D modeling, or otherwise. Additionally, when working a full day at a computer, you want a large, bright, high performance monitor, something that laptops do not have.

I'd say at least for the next decade desktops will continue to exist as a non-negligible market. After 20 years or so, most computation will probably take place in tiny implantable chips that can be interfaced directly with our nervous systems, and which can wirelessly access external computational resources if more processing power is needed. Somewhere in between (I guess in the 2020s) will be the point where desktops become a rarity.

Edited March 9, 2010 by Bonam

[kimmy]

My tower computer cost only a few hundred dollars to assemble; to purchase a laptop with comparable processing and graphics power would have cost me well over two thousand. And that laptop would not have a 22 inch monitor, and it wouldn't have a full-sized keyboard.

People who do any amount of *real* work on computers will not wish to give up their full-sized keyboards and deluxe high-resolution monitors.

And people who enjoy gaming or have computationally intensive tasks will not be in a rush to give up their towers for laptops until computer manufacturers address the dismal cost/performance ratio laptops provide.

I just obtained an unlocked "android" phone straight from Hong Kong. It's pretty darned cool. But again, while being able to access information from a pocket-sized device is certainly handy, it's still a lousy experience when compared to the comfort of a full-sized monitor and keyboard. Very few people are going to decide that surfing the web on a 3.7" monitor makes a real computer unnecessary.

-k

[Bonam]

I just obtained an unlocked "android" phone straight from Hong Kong. It's pretty darned cool. But again, while being able to access information from a pocket-sized device is certainly handy, it's still a lousy experience when compared to the comfort of a full-sized monitor and keyboard. Very few people are going to decide that surfing the web on a 3.7" monitor makes a real computer unnecessary.

-k

Indeed. That's why I think desktops and other large computers will be around until things like keyboards and monitors are no longer needed, that is, until the development and wide application of direct brain-computer interface technology.

[Michael Hardner]

Indeed. That's why I think desktops and other large computers will be around until things like keyboards and monitors are no longer needed, that is, until the development and wide application of direct brain-computer interface technology.

Agreed. Somebody told me in 1994 that mainframe computer would be gone in 5 years.

[M.Dancer]

Agreed. Somebody told me in 1994 that mainframe computer would be gone in 5 years.

When I was still new to publishing in 1985, our papers circulation was managed by a small bank of mainframes running storage from tape drives.

The same number of records can be maintained by one desktop.

I should add that in 1985 the size of a mainframe was larger than a double doored fridge....now?

[Michael Hardner]

When I was still new to publishing in 1985, our papers circulation was managed by a small bank of mainframes running storage from tape drives.

The same number of records can be maintained by one desktop.

I should add that in 1985 the size of a mainframe was larger than a double doored fridge....now?

Mainframes, like buildings, come in a variety of sizes. In 1985, as a student, I worked on one that took up a whole room. Predicting the future is a tricky game, but this Google exec is a little to excited about his own product offerings to be trustworthy I think.

I, for one, will never use a cellphone to do my work. My father will never use the internet to do banking, no matter how whiz-bang the technology becomes. I still have my first DOS computer, and I will take it out if I have to.

[Wooster]

Desktops in danger of extinction ??

Now that would strike me where it hurts.

I've never owned a laptop - and have never considered owning one.

I understand the benefits, but still I , personally would have no use for one.

My ''computer time'' is very much me at home, and the comfty chair, the ambiance in the room etc is to me a big part of the experience. I've never understood why I would need to carry my computer around with me - obviously when I'm out of the house, I'm doing something other than ''computer time'' . I don't need it for work , I don't need it for leisure- I'm very much keen on sticking with desktops.

I guess I need to ''upgrade'' my views on technology quite a bit-

I am still quite offended by people who are constantly texting, tweeting and blogging during social interractions. I also miss the days of DOS, playing Commander Keen and such.

Hopefully desktops will be here to accomodate for at least another 20 years, or else I need to seriously consider stocking up on them

Edited March 10, 2010 by Wooster

[Bonam]

When I was still new to publishing in 1985, our papers circulation was managed by a small bank of mainframes running storage from tape drives.

The same number of records can be maintained by one desktop.

I should add that in 1985 the size of a mainframe was larger than a double doored fridge....now?

Heh the same number of records can probably fit a thousands times over on a micro SD card the size of your finger nail...

I've never understood why I would need to carry my computer around with me

It's really useful for some types of people: students, business execs, salespeople, people with long commutes on public transit, etc. You are right, not everyone needs a laptop with them throughout the day, but it certainly can be useful depending on what you do. Don't worry though, you won't be needing to make an emergency stockpile of desktops any time soon. Even once desktops do become obsolete in terms of the mainstream market, you'll always be able to get them some other way. I mean you can buy ancient technology today still too if you really want, VCRs, cassette players, 386/486/pentium processors, CRT displays, floppy disks... you get my point.

[Wild Bill]

Agreed. Somebody told me in 1994 that mainframe computer would be gone in 5 years.

At a sales meeting in 1978 a Motorola salesman told us that within 5 years there would not be a single vacuum tube still in production.

Today there are still over 800 million dollars of vacuum tubes made for the audio market each year! I buy and install them almost every day for my musician customers as I service their amplifiers. Transistors just don't sound the same, due to the physics of their construction. You're just never gonna sound like Eddie Van Halen with a solid state amplifier hooked to your guitar!

Most of the people who make such predictions are really ignorant of all but the mainstream applications of a particular product. Often the niche markets represent sizable quantities in themselves.

[Topaz]

Heh the same number of records can probably fit a thousands times over on a micro SD card the size of your finger nail...

It's really useful for some types of people: students, business execs, salespeople, people with long commutes on public transit, etc. You are right, not everyone needs a laptop with them throughout the day, but it certainly can be useful depending on what you do. Don't worry though, you won't be needing to make an emergency stockpile of desktops any time soon. Even once desktops do become obsolete in terms of the mainstream market, you'll always be able to get them some other way. I mean you can buy ancient technology today still too if you really want, VCRs, cassette players, 386/486/pentium processors, CRT displays, floppy disks... you get my point.

Don't forget the 8-track tapes!

[GostHacked]

3 Years? I'd say more like 30 years before they are irrelevant. Even if end users at home don't buy themm, businesses are going to keep desktops alive.

Michael hardner.

I, for one, will never use a cellphone to do my work. My father will never use the internet to do banking, no matter how whiz-bang the technology becomes. I still have my first DOS computer, and I will take it out if I have to.

For me, my blackberry is an essential tool for my work. I was not wanting it at first, but after a month I could not live without it. It made my job easier with being on the floor and fixing stuff without having to run back to my office to check my email or get some information off the net. Cell phones and smart phones are just another tool to make your life easier.

Kimmy

My tower computer cost only a few hundred dollars to assemble; to purchase a laptop with comparable processing and graphics power would have cost me well over two thousand. And that laptop would not have a 22 inch monitor, and it wouldn't have a full-sized keyboard.

Very true. I have two towers. One tower is for my music (with 3 20" screens) and I build another machine recently for gaming. That was just the tower and a mouse and I spent almost 2 grand on it. But holy what a powerhouse.

People who do any amount of *real* work on computers will not wish to give up their full-sized keyboards and deluxe high-resolution monitors.

This is true. I have a laptop I use for work, I connect it to my nice 22" monitor and external kb and mouse. I can't stand typing on a laptop keyboard.

And people who enjoy gaming or have computationally intensive tasks will not be in a rush to give up their towers for laptops until computer manufacturers address the dismal cost/performance ratio laptops provide.

Funny thing is... my new gaming tower is a micro-atx form factor. The motherboard is much smaller to fit in a small case. But my new 'micro' tower is about as large as a mid-tower from 10-15 years ago. It's small compared to my other tower, but just as large as most of my other previous computers.