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So work environments, software developers and gamers will all abandon desktops? And go where?

by Svip 14y ago

dangrossman 14y ago
Laptops, tablets, smartphones and hybrids. As already makes up more than 80% of computing device sales today, with the desktop slice shrinking (in absolute quantity, not just percentage) every quarter. There's no way for that to happen unless either (a) businesses got hold of desktops that never need replacement, or (b) employees that were previously provided desktops are now using something else.
- Svip 14y ago
  But work environments, software developers and gamers don't make up more than 20% of computing device sales. And most of those sales figures are for consumers, so they are ignoring work places all together. Software developers might get by on a laptop, but most I know most prefer to have a desktop at home. That may be rather anecdotal evidence, but so is reading statistics wrong. And gamers, well, they sure value their customised rigs. Some of them might prefer consoles, but there is still a huge range of gamers preferring desktops over everything. Niche, perhaps, but just like there is some value to having a landline telephone (call a place rather than a person), so is there value to having a desktop. Most consumers won't care, I imagine. But that doesn't mean the desktop will go extinct. Regarding your a) and b); I am certain some businesses are moving to laptops and other non-desktop entities. But that doesn't mean all businesses are or will. It is most likely the lack of end consumers buying them that is reducing the total sales of desktops and not businesses.
- gordaco 14y ago
  I don't think gamers will be ditching desktop for laptops anytime soon (for example: better cooling allows for more performance; plus, multiple graphic cards, and, as I said previously, modularity). There still exists a difference in the higher end, and, while this may make some workers (be it software developers or just people who work with office software) prefer a laptop, many still won't because of the price. Yes, for Facebook and such you are fine with a tablet or a shitty laptop (although in my experience, the cheapest desktop is cheaper than the cheapest laptop; it may just be due to geographic location), and the desktop may lose the lower end; but, when you have higher needs, laptops start to get pricier and less performant, thus becomming less of an adequate option. About the ratio of computing devices, it's not only because desktop sell less; there are many more devices being used now than 5 years ago, and most of the new ones are tablets and smartphones. The absolute decline of the desktop is less marked.

So work environments, software developers and gamers will all abandon desktops? And go where?

by Svip 14y ago

So work environments, software developers and gamers will all abandon desktops? And go where?

Laptops, tablets, smartphones and hybrids. As already makes up more than 80% of computing device sales today, with the desktop slice shrinking (in absolute quantity, not just percentage) every quarter. There's no way for that to happen unless either (a) businesses got hold of desktops that never need replacement, or (b) employees that were previously provided desktops are now using something else.

Svip 14y ago
But work environments, software developers and gamers don't make up more than 20% of computing device sales. And most of those sales figures are for consumers, so they are ignoring work places all together. Software developers might get by on a laptop, but most I know most prefer to have a desktop at home. That may be rather anecdotal evidence, but so is reading statistics wrong. And gamers, well, they sure value their customised rigs. Some of them might prefer consoles, but there is still a huge range of gamers preferring desktops over everything. Niche, perhaps, but just like there is some value to having a landline telephone (call a place rather than a person), so is there value to having a desktop. Most consumers won't care, I imagine. But that doesn't mean the desktop will go extinct. Regarding your a) and b); I am certain some businesses are moving to laptops and other non-desktop entities. But that doesn't mean all businesses are or will. It is most likely the lack of end consumers buying them that is reducing the total sales of desktops and not businesses.
gordaco 14y ago
I don't think gamers will be ditching desktop for laptops anytime soon (for example: better cooling allows for more performance; plus, multiple graphic cards, and, as I said previously, modularity). There still exists a difference in the higher end, and, while this may make some workers (be it software developers or just people who work with office software) prefer a laptop, many still won't because of the price. Yes, for Facebook and such you are fine with a tablet or a shitty laptop (although in my experience, the cheapest desktop is cheaper than the cheapest laptop; it may just be due to geographic location), and the desktop may lose the lower end; but, when you have higher needs, laptops start to get pricier and less performant, thus becomming less of an adequate option. About the ratio of computing devices, it's not only because desktop sell less; there are many more devices being used now than 5 years ago, and most of the new ones are tablets and smartphones. The absolute decline of the desktop is less marked.