Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 23rd Jan 2013 22:09 UTC
"Apple Inc reported quarterly revenue that slightly missed Wall Street expectations as sales of its flagship iPhone came in below target, sending its shares down more than 4 percent. The world's largest technology company shipped 47.8 million iPhones, lower than the roughly 50 million that Wall Street analysts had predicted. Sales of the iPad came in at 22.9 million in the fiscal first quarter, about in line with forecasts." I'll leave the financials to the experts, but one thing that stood out to me: Apple sold 4.2 million Macs, almost a million below expectations. How much of a future does desktop computing have at Apple? Update: The NYT/Reuters changed the title during the night. Fixed it.
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RE[2]: Comment by Valhalla
by Macrat on Thu 24th Jan 2013 02:22
in reply to "RE: Comment by Valhalla"
Member since:2006-03-27
Not this nonsense again. Desktop computing will be around for a long time, not least because tablets and phones are ergonomically poor for doing pretty much anything work-like, and not really all that good for anything else.
You really think a lot of "work" tasks won't be modified to work with a tablet and keyboard?
Desktop/laptop computing won't go away entirely, but it is declining fast.
RE[2]: Comment by Valhalla
by Valhalla on Thu 24th Jan 2013 02:54
in reply to "RE: Comment by Valhalla"
Member since:2006-01-24
not least because tablets and phones are ergonomically poor for doing pretty much anything work-like, and not really all that good for anything else.
Well what I was describing was combining a 'tablet' with a mouse/keyboard for when using it for 'desktop pc' tasks and just as a 'tablet' when 'mobile'.
Mind you I'm not really arguing against you, I'm just trying to envision the future based upon the recent seemingly panicked actions from Microsoft.
Only way I can make sense of it is if they predict a strong consolidation between todays mobile 'devices' and the traditional home pc desktop.
Like you said, people will still need to do 'work' which is often not suitable with a touch interface, but why do they need to be separate devices when all that really differs (assuming the mobile hardware specs keep improving at a rapid rate) is that of a keyboard/mouse and possibly a larger screen estate?
So basically you have a 'tablet' style computer which you can bring with you anywhere and which works just fine using 'touch' for consuming information while on the move. Then when you want to 'work' you place it in some holder to be viewed as a typical desktop screen (or use it with an external screen) and connect it to your wireless keyboard/mouse and get to work, desktop-style.
RE[3]: Comment by Valhalla
by Nelson on Thu 24th Jan 2013 04:22
in reply to "RE[2]: Comment by Valhalla"
Member since:2005-11-29
RE[3]: Comment by Valhalla
by ichi on Thu 24th Jan 2013 07:14
in reply to "RE[2]: Comment by Valhalla"
Member since:2007-03-06
Mind you I'm not really arguing against you, I'm just trying to envision the future based upon the recent seemingly panicked actions from Microsoft.
Only way I can make sense of it is if they predict a strong consolidation between todays mobile 'devices' and the traditional home pc desktop.
Only way I can make sense of it is if they predict a strong consolidation between todays mobile 'devices' and the traditional home pc desktop.
Predictions or not that's actually the only way for Microsoft to get a foothold on the tablet market: bring them close to the platform they already dominate.
Google on the other hand is trying the same thing in the opposite way with their Chromebooks.
RE[2]: Comment by Valhalla
by Soulbender on Thu 24th Jan 2013 06:23
in reply to "RE: Comment by Valhalla"
Member since:2005-08-18
Desktop computing will be around for a long time
Sure, but the use of large, bulky and immobile desktop computers will decline and it will probably happen with some haste.
not least because tablets and phones are ergonomically poor for doing pretty much anything work-like, and not really all that good for anything else.
Attach a proper keyboard, mouse and a USB drive and you can do most desktop tasks on a tablet with ease. Desktops will still be around for demanding tasks but most user's will be fine with a flexible tablet.
The "post-PC era" just means web sites need to be accessible to mobile interfaces
What the rather stupid term Post-PC mean is the decline of desktop computing.
PC sales are slowing down because your old PC is good enough.
Right and with more and more powerful and flexible mobile systems why would you buy a desktop once your old desktop no longer is good enough?
Edited 2013-01-24 06:24 UTC
RE[3]: Comment by Valhalla
by Neolander on Thu 24th Jan 2013 06:30
in reply to "RE[2]: Comment by Valhalla"
Member since:2010-03-08
"PC sales are slowing down because your old PC is good enough."
Right and with more and more powerful and flexible mobile systems why would you buy a desktop once your old desktop no longer is good enough?
Right and with more and more powerful and flexible mobile systems why would you buy a desktop once your old desktop no longer is good enough?
I guess the same reasons why people buy desktops instead of - or in addition to - laptops today would still apply. Stuff like an increased value for the price in "static" use cases, larger and higher-quality screens, better ergonomics when you want to work for an extended period of time, more flexible and robust hardware, easier sharing within a family...
Not everyone needs a desktop, but those desktops which haven't been replaced by laptops likely won't be replaced by tablets either. Only laptops need to be afraid of the rise of touchscreen devices, as soon as the software on these things grows up beyond the "Fisher Price, my first computer" stage.
A cellphone/tablet docking mechanism which doesn't suck could remove some of the aforementioned advantages of desktops over laptops, but AFAIK, no one has been seriously working in such a direction so far.
Edited 2013-01-24 06:39 UTC
RE[3]: Comment by Valhalla
by moondevil on Thu 24th Jan 2013 06:35
in reply to "RE[2]: Comment by Valhalla"
Member since:2005-07-08
Sure, but the use of large, bulky and immobile desktop computers will decline and it will probably happen with some haste.
I thought it did already.
Since 2001 I only use laptops privately and at work since 2006 we use laptops with docking station.
The only place for towers is servers.
RE[3]: Comment by Valhalla
by lustyd on Sun 27th Jan 2013 21:06
in reply to "RE[2]: Comment by Valhalla"
Member since:2008-06-19
"Attach a proper keyboard, mouse and a USB drive and you can do most desktop tasks on a tablet with ease. Desktops will still be around for demanding tasks but most user's will be fine with a flexible tablet."
Not in the business world. I recently interviewed one person from every team in a large company (it took a LOOOONG time). The vast majority of business users never leave their desk, and certainly won't be taking a device with them when they leave for the day. It's quite depressing finding out what the "normals" do for a living, because it turns out to be boring and repetitive. A few examples:
number of call center workers needing laptop/tablet = 0
number of receptionists needing laptop/tablet = 0
number of typists needing laptop/tablet = 0
number of people working in accounts (not accountants) needing laptop/tablet = 0
even more depressing is number of first line IT workers needing laptop/tablet = 0
I agree there will be a HUGE shift towards mobile compute, but in the business space it will be far less than you think, and more likely we will see VESA mount micro computers taking over to reduce desk space used
Features
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/21/13 21:38 UTC
At an event earlier today, Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox - the third model, but confusingly named Xbox One. The big focus was TV, integrated Kinect, and all the other stuff we all expected to be forced down our throats. I think it took them 25 minutes to actually come to what should be the core of the story: gaming. Nothing groundbreaking in the gaming department, except for how Microsoft intends to handle the used games market and borrowing games from friends: pay up, buddy!
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/20/13 11:29 UTC
The day has finally come! Jolla has finally announced the launch device for its Sailfish operating system - and by god this is a looker. It's decidedly different from other phones out there, but it has good specifications and carries a relatively reasonably price tag - EUR 399, and it's up for pre-order today, shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/18/13 21:33 UTC
Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.
Linked by David Adams on 05/16/13 4:23 UTC
OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/11/13 21:41 UTC
"Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/08/13 14:22 UTC
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/02/13 15:28 UTC
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/29/13 21:06 UTC
Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/24/13 22:24 UTC
They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/18/13 11:21 UTC
Nokia has posted its quarterly results for the first quarter of 2013, and just like the quarters that came before, there's not a whole lot of good news in there. The rise in Lumia sales still can't even dream of making up for the sales drop in Symbian phones, and when broken down in versions, the sales figures for Windows Phone 8 Lumias in particular are very disappointing. In North America, Nokia is getting slaughtered.More Features »
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Member since:
2005-11-14
Not this nonsense again. Desktop computing will be around for a long time, not least because tablets and phones are ergonomically poor for doing pretty much anything work-like, and not really all that good for anything else.
The "post-PC era" just means web sites need to be accessible to mobile interfaces. You can no longer expect the user to have a Windows PC with a mouse and Internet Explorer. PC sales are slowing down because your old PC is good enough. Even upgrading my old Radeon 5770 seems like it's not worth the money.