3 ms·

So did Microsoft sell 350 million copies of Windows 7 in a year, or are desktops "increasingly niche devices"? I'm not sure the two positions are compatible. O

So did Microsoft sell 350 million copies of Windows 7 in a year, or are desktops "increasingly niche devices"? I'm not sure the two positions are compatible. Of course they're compatible. Laptops outsold desktops for the first time in 2005. See the attached chart for the US, which actually tends to lag the world in laptop vs desktop ratios: http://techcrunch.com/2010/06/17/forrester-tablets-outsell-netbooks/ http://techcrunch.com/2010/06/17/forrester-tablets-outsell-n... Desktops are becoming a niche device. I do friends/family tech support on about 50 PCs. Of those about 10 are desktops. The other 40 are laptops (not saying my anecdote is data, but I don't think its unusual, and the actual data does suggest the same).

bruce511 15y ago
Ahh - ok - I see laptops, and desktops as basically the same thing in the context of the original discussion (which was on the merits of a tablet OS vs a PC OS). So I guess my point is this - Tablets have gotten huge market traction, and of course are all the rage as new models are announced and ship almost daily. but tablets are not great devices for "work". they're great consuming devices, fantastic for web browsing, you-tube, facebook, twitter and so on, but less great for "creation". I'm not sure there are many _jobs_ where a tablet removes the need for a desktop (or laptop) - especially when it comes to the classic office functions (documents, spreadsheets, accounting, presentations, graphic or video creation, software development and so on.) The tablet market will grow as it places a consumption device in the hands of consumers - however there are hundreds of millions of content producers already producing who are unlikely to give up their regular PC's, keyboard, mouse or big screen anytime soon.
- kenjackson 15y ago
  I see laptops, and desktops as basically the same thing in the context of the original discussion (which was on the merits of a tablet OS vs a PC OS). My niche comment was based on the fact that I think the new UI works for tablets and laptops. Less so for actual desktops. But I thought desktops were becoming more niche. With that said, I agree with everything else you said. Tablets are great for consumption, not creation/productivity. This is actually why I like the Win8 approach if I can seamless hop between the two worlds.
- HeyLaughingBoy 15y ago
  they're great consuming devices I think that's exactly his point. Most users of PCs are consumers, not producers. That consumption will move towards tablet devices because they are easier to use, while the fraction of users that are producers will decline. What I expect to also happen is that the move to cheaper PC tablets will make other applications feasible that are now constrained by hardware costs.

bruce511 15y ago

Ahh - ok - I see laptops, and desktops as basically the same thing in the context of the original discussion (which was on the merits of a tablet OS vs a PC OS). So I guess my point is this - Tablets have gotten huge market traction, and of course are all the rage as new models are announced and ship almost daily. but tablets are not great devices for "work". they're great consuming devices, fantastic for web browsing, you-tube, facebook, twitter and so on, but less great for "creation". I'm not sure there are many _jobs_ where a tablet removes the need for a desktop (or laptop) - especially when it comes to the classic office functions (documents, spreadsheets, accounting, presentations, graphic or video creation, software development and so on.) The tablet market will grow as it places a consumption device in the hands of consumers - however there are hundreds of millions of content producers already producing who are unlikely to give up their regular PC's, keyboard, mouse or big screen anytime soon.

kenjackson 15y ago
I see laptops, and desktops as basically the same thing in the context of the original discussion (which was on the merits of a tablet OS vs a PC OS). My niche comment was based on the fact that I think the new UI works for tablets and laptops. Less so for actual desktops. But I thought desktops were becoming more niche. With that said, I agree with everything else you said. Tablets are great for consumption, not creation/productivity. This is actually why I like the Win8 approach if I can seamless hop between the two worlds.
HeyLaughingBoy 15y ago
they're great consuming devices I think that's exactly his point. Most users of PCs are consumers, not producers. That consumption will move towards tablet devices because they are easier to use, while the fraction of users that are producers will decline. What I expect to also happen is that the move to cheaper PC tablets will make other applications feasible that are now constrained by hardware costs.