Apple's iPhone disappointment fans doubt on growth
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 23rd Jan 2013 22:09 UTC
Apple "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[4]: Comment by Valhalla
by Soulbender on Thu 24th Jan 2013 06:44 UTC in reply to "RE[3]: Comment by Valhalla"
Soulbender
Member since:
2005-08-18

Stuff like an increased value for the price in "static" use cases


True but tablets are already pretty cheap. Either way, this still spells the decline of desktop computing.

larger and higher-quality screens


Well, what if you can connect a larger monitor to your tablet?

screens, better ergonomics when you want to work for an extended period of time


I really don't see how a desktop would provide better ergonomics in the case where the tablet has an external mouse and keyboard.

Not everyone needs a desktop, but those desktops which haven't been replaced by laptops likely won't be replaced by tablets either.


True but they won't last forever and when they die, or are no longer "good enough", they're unlikely to be replaced by another desktop.

Edited 2013-01-24 06:44 UTC

Reply Parent Score: 2

RE[5]: Comment by Valhalla
by Neolander on Thu 24th Jan 2013 07:27 in reply to "RE[4]: Comment by Valhalla"
Neolander Member since:
2010-03-08

Of course, one can often do what I did at work and wire a laptop or tablet into a full desktop setup, complete with a keyboard, mouse, large screen, faster and more reliable wired networking, etc...

The core reason why I did this, though, is that I didn't really need a laptop to begin with. If I actually did, I wouldn't bother with the constant plugging and unplugging and would just buy a second desktop machine for the "static" work, with some sort of periodic data syncing between both.

That's what I meant when I said that good enough docking could change the situation. As of today, using a tablet or laptop in a desktop configuration when all you actually need is a desktop, is just too much of a hassle for too high of a price.

As for your argument that desktops are still being phased out in favor of laptops, I frankly doubt it. The average desktop lasts less than a decade, and "good enough" laptops have been around for longer than that, so people who actually needed a more portable device have likely already made the switch.

Edited 2013-01-24 07:36 UTC

Reply Parent Score: 2

RE[6]: Comment by Valhalla
by zima on Mon 28th Jan 2013 22:11 in reply to "RE[5]: Comment by Valhalla"
zima Member since:
2005-07-06

As for your argument that desktops are still being phased out in favor of laptops, I frankly doubt it. The average desktop lasts less than a decade, and "good enough" laptops have been around for longer than that, so people who actually needed a more portable device have likely already made the switch.

But "good enough" and affordable laptops have been around for much less than a decade+ ...the price of laptops became tolerable (for your average consumer; who also doesn't seek portability so much, more a desktop replacement machine) only about half a decade ago tops.

Reply Parent Score: 2