Five Reasons Desktop PCs Won’t Die
By Bob Rankin
Tablets and smartphones seem to be taking over the computing world. Some pundits are predicting that in a few years you won’t be able buy a desktop PC. Are PCs inevitably going the way of buggy whips? Here’s my take on why that’s that’s not going to happen any time soon…
The Desktop is Dead. Long Live the Desktop!
It’s true that mobile computing devices are gaining market share at the expense of deskbound PCs. But the number of PCs sold per year has remained remarkably stable. (See the bottom, dark blue bar in this IDC Research chart. There is steady demand for PCs, and it’s unlikely to go away. Here are five reasons why desktop PCs will not die:
Ergonomics: Tablets and smartphones literally cause pains in the neck when used for extended periods. They’re harder to use for typing than a desktop with an expansive keyboard. Their displays are smaller than those of typical desktop PCs. Fine cursor control is difficult or impossible on tablets and smartphones. When faced with a choice between mobility and comfort, mobility often wins. But when people don’t need mobility, they usually choose comfort over saving space.
Compute Power and Storage: Desktop PCs can accommodate faster, more powerful processors than mobile devices, and can control more peripherals simultaneously. They are almost infinitely expandable. If you need several terabytes of storage in a PC or Mac desktop, it’s not a problem. Tablets and smartphones can’t even come close, in either raw power or storage capability.
Excerpt shared with permission from Bob Rankin.
