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Honestly, I'm surprised there are still as many Windows OEMs as there are right now. The consumer PC market has cratered since the iPad, and Apple's tactic of g

Honestly, I'm surprised there are still as many Windows OEMs as there are right now. The consumer PC market has cratered since the iPad, and Apple's tactic of getting Macs into colleges is paying dividends now those students are moving into their 30s. How many people really want a Windows machine at this point? With Valve's aggressive move into taking PC games off of Windows altogether, I really don't know what market segment is left loyal to the platform. Samsung might be taking a hit on experiments such as Chromebooks, but my guess is its going to be the OEMs that diversify quickly and focus on quality and not quantity that will stay in the business of selling computational machines to consumers. Windows 8 is Microsoft's parting gift to the desktop. I'd put money on Windows 9 going Metro only, and perhaps a revival of the NT brand for enterprise buyers to keep the desktop around.

rednukleus 14y ago
My god, some of you people live in the weirdest little bubble, where you have no idea what is going on in the world. > The consumer PC market has cratered since the iPad No it hasn't. Not even close. There are a lot more PCs sold per quarter than iPads, and the rate of PC shipments is still increasing. > How many people really want a Windows machine at this point? According to every available stat, a vast majority of people choose Windows over Linux and OSX. > With Valve's aggressive move into taking PC games off of Windows altogether Valve's biggest market by far is PC, and will remain so for the immediate future. They have no intention of moving off Windows - just establishing other platforms. > I'd put money on Windows 9 going Metro only I will take this bet for any odds you are willing to give. The fact that you are even considering this as a possible outcome shows that you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
- noibl 14y ago
  > the rate of PC shipments is still increasing. Gartner and IDC: PC shipments tumbled over 8 percent in Q3[1] That's the second consecutive quarter of negative global growth.[2] >> The consumer PC market has cratered since the iPad > There are a lot more PCs sold per quarter than iPads I don't think 'since the iPad' meant losing out solely to iPad sales. [1] http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/10/gartner-and-idc-pc-shipments-tumbled-over-8-percent-in-q3/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/10/gartner-and-idc-pc-shipme... [2] http://www.consumerit.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1235:very-slight-emea-pc-growth-in-q2-2012-&catid=20&Itemid=100017 http://www.consumerit.eu/index.php?option=com_content&vi...
  - rednukleus 14y ago
    So the quarter before a major new Windows OS release, the number of computers sold decreased? Earth shattering You're grasping at straws, Windows is not going anywhere in a hurry. You may not like it, but to ignore this fact is to ignore reality.
    - noibl 14y ago
      I guess you missed the part where demand for this hugely anticipated OS release is looking decidedly weak?[0][1][2] (I love that after telling one person they don't know what they're talking about, while making obviously false claims yourself, you continue to lecture about 'reality'.) BTW, I'm not posting in support of Lewisham's thesis, so I have no need for straws. [0] TFA [1] http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2012/12/03/Why-Windows-8-Cant-Save-the-PC-Industry.aspx#page1 http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2012/12/03/Why-Window... [2] http://news.investors.com/technology/101612-629557-intel-beats-lowered-q3-estimates.htm?p=full http://news.investors.com/technology/101612-629557-intel-bea...
      - rednukleus 14y ago
        > while making obviously false claims yourself What claims have I made that are false? So after a couple of weak quarters, PC sales are what, twice the rate of tablets? 3 times? Go ahead, try to pretend that Windows is no longer relevant - but if you want to actually understand the market, which is what I thought this website was for, then you can't support ridiculous claims like "Windows PC sales have cratered since the iPad was released".
        noibl 14y ago
        > What claims have I made that are false? You said they're growing. They're shrinking. I'm out.
        rednukleus 14y ago
        They shrunk in one quarter. There are some early indications that by some measures they might have shrunk in Q4 as well. You know full well that the statement you are trying to defend, that "Windows 8 PC sales have cratered since the iPad" is indefensible.
elorant 14y ago
How many people really want a Windows machine at this point? You know, it's funny that your id says that you're studying video games and yet you make such a bold statement. Anyone who's into serious gaming wants a Windows machine. Duh!
- seanmcdirmid 14y ago
  Anyone who wants to make money building and selling video games wants an iPad. Not all games sold are hardcore, which is somewhat of a difficult capital-intensive market anyways.
- Lewisham 14y ago
  Many people into serious gaming are not necessarily on the PC platform. The other aspect is that the majority of those that are are buying into the Steam ecosystem. As I said in my OP, I expect those players will follow Valve away from Windows to Linux if Valve courts them (and developers) aggressively.
nivla 14y ago
> How many people really want a Windows machine at this point? With Valve's aggressive move into taking PC games off of Windows altogether, I really don't know what market segment is left loyal to the platform. Given that Windows still holds > 91% of the OS market share [1], I don't think it is going to fade away anytime soon. > I'd put money on Windows 9 going Metro only That is never going to happen, given how much influence Microsoft has on the corporate world, it would be equivalent killing their golden goose. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Windows#Usage_share http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Windows#Usage_share
- noibl 14y ago
  Regarding sales as opposed to usage: Windows once held an overwhelming lead in 2008 with about 70 percent of the OS market, Forrester found in estimating overall personal computing device sales by OS. By 2012, that market share had shrunk to about 30 percent. -- http://rcpmag.com/articles/2012/10/22/microsoft-os-market-slide.aspx http://rcpmag.com/articles/2012/10/22/microsoft-os-market-sl... According to a Goldman Sachs report acquired by The Seattle Times, Windows lost massive share in the global compute market-- from being the OS of choice in 97% of all computing devices in 2000 to just 20% in 2012. -- http://www.consumerit.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1429:goldman-sachs-windows-compute-market-share-down-&catid=20&Itemid=100017 http://www.consumerit.eu/index.php?option=com_content&vi...
  - FireBeyond 14y ago
    That's hilarious - "all computing devices" includes tablets, and even some smartphones. No wonder desktop Windows is "declining" in popularity against that whole market.
    - noibl 14y ago
      It's not desktop Windows. It's Windows. See my posts re declining PC sales for why this would matter (hint: people are getting work done on devices). Then we can fall back to the argument that consumer PCs aren't really important anyway.
    - 14y ago

rednukleus 14y ago

My god, some of you people live in the weirdest little bubble, where you have no idea what is going on in the world. > The consumer PC market has cratered since the iPad No it hasn't. Not even close. There are a lot more PCs sold per quarter than iPads, and the rate of PC shipments is still increasing. > How many people really want a Windows machine at this point? According to every available stat, a vast majority of people choose Windows over Linux and OSX. > With Valve's aggressive move into taking PC games off of Windows altogether Valve's biggest market by far is PC, and will remain so for the immediate future. They have no intention of moving off Windows - just establishing other platforms. > I'd put money on Windows 9 going Metro only I will take this bet for any odds you are willing to give. The fact that you are even considering this as a possible outcome shows that you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

noibl 14y ago
> the rate of PC shipments is still increasing. Gartner and IDC: PC shipments tumbled over 8 percent in Q3[1] That's the second consecutive quarter of negative global growth.[2] >> The consumer PC market has cratered since the iPad > There are a lot more PCs sold per quarter than iPads I don't think 'since the iPad' meant losing out solely to iPad sales. [1] http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/10/gartner-and-idc-pc-shipments-tumbled-over-8-percent-in-q3/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/10/gartner-and-idc-pc-shipme... [2] http://www.consumerit.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1235:very-slight-emea-pc-growth-in-q2-2012-&catid=20&Itemid=100017 http://www.consumerit.eu/index.php?option=com_content&vi...
- rednukleus 14y ago
  So the quarter before a major new Windows OS release, the number of computers sold decreased? Earth shattering You're grasping at straws, Windows is not going anywhere in a hurry. You may not like it, but to ignore this fact is to ignore reality.
  - noibl 14y ago
    I guess you missed the part where demand for this hugely anticipated OS release is looking decidedly weak?[0][1][2] (I love that after telling one person they don't know what they're talking about, while making obviously false claims yourself, you continue to lecture about 'reality'.) BTW, I'm not posting in support of Lewisham's thesis, so I have no need for straws. [0] TFA [1] http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2012/12/03/Why-Windows-8-Cant-Save-the-PC-Industry.aspx#page1 http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2012/12/03/Why-Window... [2] http://news.investors.com/technology/101612-629557-intel-beats-lowered-q3-estimates.htm?p=full http://news.investors.com/technology/101612-629557-intel-bea...
    - rednukleus 14y ago
      > while making obviously false claims yourself What claims have I made that are false? So after a couple of weak quarters, PC sales are what, twice the rate of tablets? 3 times? Go ahead, try to pretend that Windows is no longer relevant - but if you want to actually understand the market, which is what I thought this website was for, then you can't support ridiculous claims like "Windows PC sales have cratered since the iPad was released".
      - noibl 14y ago
        > What claims have I made that are false? You said they're growing. They're shrinking. I'm out.
        rednukleus 14y ago
        They shrunk in one quarter. There are some early indications that by some measures they might have shrunk in Q4 as well. You know full well that the statement you are trying to defend, that "Windows 8 PC sales have cratered since the iPad" is indefensible.

elorant 14y ago

How many people really want a Windows machine at this point? You know, it's funny that your id says that you're studying video games and yet you make such a bold statement. Anyone who's into serious gaming wants a Windows machine. Duh!

seanmcdirmid 14y ago
Anyone who wants to make money building and selling video games wants an iPad. Not all games sold are hardcore, which is somewhat of a difficult capital-intensive market anyways.
Lewisham 14y ago
Many people into serious gaming are not necessarily on the PC platform. The other aspect is that the majority of those that are are buying into the Steam ecosystem. As I said in my OP, I expect those players will follow Valve away from Windows to Linux if Valve courts them (and developers) aggressively.

nivla 14y ago

> How many people really want a Windows machine at this point? With Valve's aggressive move into taking PC games off of Windows altogether, I really don't know what market segment is left loyal to the platform. Given that Windows still holds > 91% of the OS market share [1], I don't think it is going to fade away anytime soon. > I'd put money on Windows 9 going Metro only That is never going to happen, given how much influence Microsoft has on the corporate world, it would be equivalent killing their golden goose. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Windows#Usage_share http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Windows#Usage_share

noibl 14y ago
Regarding sales as opposed to usage: Windows once held an overwhelming lead in 2008 with about 70 percent of the OS market, Forrester found in estimating overall personal computing device sales by OS. By 2012, that market share had shrunk to about 30 percent. -- http://rcpmag.com/articles/2012/10/22/microsoft-os-market-slide.aspx http://rcpmag.com/articles/2012/10/22/microsoft-os-market-sl... According to a Goldman Sachs report acquired by The Seattle Times, Windows lost massive share in the global compute market-- from being the OS of choice in 97% of all computing devices in 2000 to just 20% in 2012. -- http://www.consumerit.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1429:goldman-sachs-windows-compute-market-share-down-&catid=20&Itemid=100017 http://www.consumerit.eu/index.php?option=com_content&vi...
- FireBeyond 14y ago
  That's hilarious - "all computing devices" includes tablets, and even some smartphones. No wonder desktop Windows is "declining" in popularity against that whole market.
  - noibl 14y ago
    It's not desktop Windows. It's Windows. See my posts re declining PC sales for why this would matter (hint: people are getting work done on devices). Then we can fall back to the argument that consumer PCs aren't really important anyway.
  - 14y ago