3 ms·

The "PC is dead" line is usually referring to general consumers. Obviously it doesn't apply to power users (which are a very small %). For content creators, a P

by infinii 14y ago

The "PC is dead" line is usually referring to general consumers. Obviously it doesn't apply to power users (which are a very small %). For content creators, a PC is still a necessity. For content consumers, mobile or tablets are suffice. The only argument OP makes that applies to general consumers is gaming, and that can be moved to a console.

dendory 14y ago
This is exactly the type of argument that doesn't hold. "tablets will suffice" Why should someone go for something that will be inferior, and simply suffice? "move to the console" Why would I want to play on a 7 year old console, which means lower graphic games? Your definition of general consumers actually applies to a very small amount, people who never do anything that could, in some way, be better off on a larger display, full sized keyboard, and more processor power.
- groby_b 14y ago
  To put it very bluntly - most people don't give a damn. If a game is fun, it's fun. They don't need the latest and greatest graphics with all the concomitant driver nightmares. They don't need a 2 or 3 year update cycle. They don't care about some vague possible state of "better off". They want to get stuff done, and they need tools that are good enough to do it. The key word is good enough. And for the vast majority of consumers, tablets & phones are exactly that - good enough. Heck, I make my living writing software, and I barely flip on my home machine any more - bluetooth keyboard, tablet, and ssh are good enough.
- alwaysinshade 14y ago
  > Why would I want to play on a 7 year old console, which means lower graphic games? I think that's the reason why I love consoles - I haven't had to upgrade my gaming machine since 2006. And looking at the games I've enjoyed in the last 12 months - Skyrim and MW3 (for purely multiplayer funsies) I don't feel like I've missed anything having an ancient machine. And don’t think I haven’t logged many hours playing either. A console doesn’t mean I’m just casually playing games - I take a deep delight in sitting down on my couch with a beer, dog by my side, and blapping annoying teenagers online whenever I get the chance.
  - tsotha 14y ago
    >And looking at the games I've enjoyed in the last 12 months - Skyrim and MW3 (for purely multiplayer funsies) I don't feel like I've missed anything having an ancient machine. As a PC gamer this is what pisses me off. You aren't missing anything because publishers won't write games that don't run on consoles. The graphics and CPU power on my desktop dwarfs a console, but it's all wasted power.
  - infinii 14y ago
    Wholeheartedly agree here. The trade-off of a 7 yr console means not having to skip a mortgage payment every single year to buy the latest/greatest gfx card just to stay on top of the latest FPS in the PC gaming world.
- sbuk 14y ago
  Why use a sledgehammer to crack a peanut? If all you want to do is surf the web, use services like Twitter and Facebook and send emails the a tablet is ideal. They quite handy for simple content creation too. Most desktops and laptops are overkill - in much the same way an SUV is overkill for the school run.
tsotha 14y ago
>The "PC is dead" line is usually referring to general consumers. Obviously it doesn't apply to power users (which are a very small %). That may be a small percentage of home users, but virtually everyone who works in a cube farm will be better off with a mouse, keyboard, and a large display area.
- dagw 14y ago
  Mouse, keyboard and large display area doesn't automatically preclude tablets, it just requires a docking station.
  - tsotha 14y ago
    Well, sure. But in the end you're going to spend as much as buying both the tablet and a PC. Also, the PC has a big advantage in that its performance isn't constrained by battery life or heat considerations.

by infinii 14y ago

dendory 14y ago

This is exactly the type of argument that doesn't hold. "tablets will suffice" Why should someone go for something that will be inferior, and simply suffice? "move to the console" Why would I want to play on a 7 year old console, which means lower graphic games? Your definition of general consumers actually applies to a very small amount, people who never do anything that could, in some way, be better off on a larger display, full sized keyboard, and more processor power.

groby_b 14y ago
To put it very bluntly - most people don't give a damn. If a game is fun, it's fun. They don't need the latest and greatest graphics with all the concomitant driver nightmares. They don't need a 2 or 3 year update cycle. They don't care about some vague possible state of "better off". They want to get stuff done, and they need tools that are good enough to do it. The key word is good enough. And for the vast majority of consumers, tablets & phones are exactly that - good enough. Heck, I make my living writing software, and I barely flip on my home machine any more - bluetooth keyboard, tablet, and ssh are good enough.
alwaysinshade 14y ago
> Why would I want to play on a 7 year old console, which means lower graphic games? I think that's the reason why I love consoles - I haven't had to upgrade my gaming machine since 2006. And looking at the games I've enjoyed in the last 12 months - Skyrim and MW3 (for purely multiplayer funsies) I don't feel like I've missed anything having an ancient machine. And don’t think I haven’t logged many hours playing either. A console doesn’t mean I’m just casually playing games - I take a deep delight in sitting down on my couch with a beer, dog by my side, and blapping annoying teenagers online whenever I get the chance.
- tsotha 14y ago
  >And looking at the games I've enjoyed in the last 12 months - Skyrim and MW3 (for purely multiplayer funsies) I don't feel like I've missed anything having an ancient machine. As a PC gamer this is what pisses me off. You aren't missing anything because publishers won't write games that don't run on consoles. The graphics and CPU power on my desktop dwarfs a console, but it's all wasted power.
- infinii 14y ago
  Wholeheartedly agree here. The trade-off of a 7 yr console means not having to skip a mortgage payment every single year to buy the latest/greatest gfx card just to stay on top of the latest FPS in the PC gaming world.
sbuk 14y ago
Why use a sledgehammer to crack a peanut? If all you want to do is surf the web, use services like Twitter and Facebook and send emails the a tablet is ideal. They quite handy for simple content creation too. Most desktops and laptops are overkill - in much the same way an SUV is overkill for the school run.

tsotha 14y ago

>The "PC is dead" line is usually referring to general consumers. Obviously it doesn't apply to power users (which are a very small %). That may be a small percentage of home users, but virtually everyone who works in a cube farm will be better off with a mouse, keyboard, and a large display area.

dagw 14y ago
Mouse, keyboard and large display area doesn't automatically preclude tablets, it just requires a docking station.
- tsotha 14y ago
  Well, sure. But in the end you're going to spend as much as buying both the tablet and a PC. Also, the PC has a big advantage in that its performance isn't constrained by battery life or heat considerations.