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Old 10th April 2013
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Default PC shipment plunge enhanced by Windows 8

Quote:
Originally Posted by (AP)
Global shipments of PCs fell 14 per cent in the first three months this year, the sharpest plunge since research firm IDC started tracking the industry in 1994.

The firm said Wednesday that the appeal of tablets and smartphones is pulling money away from PCs, but it also blame Microsoft's latest version of Windows, which has a new look and forces users to learn new ways to control their machines.
Source
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Old 12th April 2013
thirdm thirdm is offline
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Maybe I can start allowing myself to watch advertising again, cause $1.8 billion in ads seems not to have made Windows 8 any less of an abomination to users, apparently. (I was trying to avoid looking at ads on the theory that they might work, causing me to buy things I don't need)

Last edited by thirdm; 12th April 2013 at 09:22 PM. Reason: missing article
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Old 13th April 2013
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The good news, I think, is that you'll only have to watch one ad, because lately if you've seen one ad, you've seen them all. I've been watching them all, and it seems they all contain either

* a smartphone

* a tablet

* a {net|note|ultra}-book

Doesn't matter if it's for pizza, beer or banking, it has to have some of those in it. The conclusion I take from this is that, if you put a "cool" device next to something, then that something becomes cool by association ... and therefore one should buy it right away.

But could this strategy backfire for Microsoft? When they first announced the Surface tablet, the conspiracy theorist in me speculated it would be another vaporware, devised to make Windows 8 look cool (as in the ads), thus driving sales for their bread-and-butter OS. The tablet would be delayed, and never have to be produced! Well, I was wrong, there is a Surface, but maybe it will backfire: Windows 8 might make the Surface look uncool ... and it will end up being effectively vaporware.
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Old 13th April 2013
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Quote:
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But could this strategy backfire for Microsoft? When they first announced the Surface tablet, the conspiracy theorist in me speculated it would be another vaporware, devised to make Windows 8 look cool (as in the ads), thus driving sales for their bread-and-butter OS. The tablet would be delayed, and never have to be produced! Well, I was wrong, there is a Surface, but maybe it will backfire: Windows 8 might make the Surface look uncool ... and it will end up being effectively vaporware.
If I remember rightly, they partly blew it with the Surface because the hardware was ridiculous. Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, or it was only the deluxe model, but it sounded like a "gamer's laptop" put into a tablet form factor, as in it was extremely heavy and hot, as well as expensive.
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Old 13th April 2013
J65nko J65nko is offline
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IMHO the economic woes in the US and Europe also play a role. If you fear for your job, or are unemployed why would you spend your money on new hardware or software?
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Old 13th April 2013
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My real concern with the trend towards tablets and phones is the lack of hardware-configurability that PC's had. I mean, with my wife's gaming rig I'm constantly updating video cards, RAM, etc... but I haven't touched her tablet (for obvious reasons) except to install a few "external source" apps.

Makes me kinda sad, but I can also remember having to solder RAM onto the motherboard of my Dad's first PC. Those days are long gone, and so too will these days soon be long gone.
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Old 13th April 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thirdm View Post
If I remember rightly, they partly blew it with the Surface because the hardware was ridiculous. Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, or it was only the deluxe model, but it sounded like a "gamer's laptop" put into a tablet form factor, as in it was extremely heavy and hot, as well as expensive.
  • The original Surface RT (released last November as I recall...) utilized an ARM processor, (from nVidia...) & only applications downloadable from Microsoft's App Store could be used. The specifications state that this model could only be ordered with 32GB or 64GB of secondary store and 2GB RAM, but the price is below its newer brother.
  • The Intel i5-based Surface Pro (which came out in February...) sports with either 64GB or 128GB storage and 4GB RAM. Given that it can run most legacy Windows applications, I have thought that it might be an alternative to replace an older netbook I have used to run needed Windows 7 applications.
Anandtech's review of the Surface Pro pointed out that it was a promising hybrid which may not beat out the best tablets or laptops, but in residing in the space between these two markets, it was worth consideration. The review went on to say that a version 2 may be quite a competitor in either market.
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Old 13th April 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rocket357 View Post
My real concern with the trend towards tablets and phones is the lack of hardware-configurability that PC's had.
I'm afraid those days are gone. The general public isn't interested in dealing with configuration; they use PC's because of work & the fear that their kids will be woefully unprepared if they don't have exposure to the things.

If the hardware they have begins to act "funny", it is far easier for them to justify buying a new system (not that this is my opinion...).

I don't believe complete systems can be purchased today without either Windows or OS/X pre-installed, so the industry isn't promoting the acquisition of knowledge at all. What the public has focused on is constant texting, & ordering pizza at all hours, not maximizing their hardware expenditures.
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Old 14th April 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ocicat View Post
I'm afraid those days are gone.
As am I.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ocicat View Post
the industry isn't promoting the acquisition of knowledge at all.
Speaking strictly from a serious computer nerd's point of view, I am concerned. Looking at it from the public point of view, though, it makes perfect sense.

It's just disheartening, that's all.
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Old 15th April 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ocicat View Post
I'm afraid those days are gone. The general public isn't interested in dealing with configuration; they use PC's because of work & the fear that their kids will be woefully unprepared if they don't have exposure to the things.

If the hardware they have begins to act "funny", it is far easier for them to justify buying a new system (not that this is my opinion...).

I don't believe complete systems can be purchased today without either Windows or OS/X pre-installed, so the industry isn't promoting the acquisition of knowledge at all. What the public has focused on is constant texting, & ordering pizza at all hours, not maximizing their hardware expenditures.
Everything is "throw away" now. It's to the point now that I pretty much hate computers, cellphones and technology in general...and being a programmer that's not too good...for what they are doing to society. I am not Ted Kaczynski.
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Old 15th April 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by roddierod:
Everything is "throw away" now. It's to the point now that I pretty much hate computers, cellphones and technology in general...and being a programmer that's not too good...for what they are doing to society. I am not Ted Kaczynski.
I have viewed computers as tools and felt it important to know my tools and how to use them. I fear that many users have become the "tools", adjusting their social and economic lives around their devices.
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Old 18th April 2013
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A couple of links closely related to main parts of the discussion above:

First, a longish opinion piece from Wired ...

Microsoft lumbering toward cool,

and then recent sales update on the Surface (from zdnet) ...

Microsoft still barely scratching "Surface" with tablet sales

Of course for any individual consumer, none of the above may be that relevant to their decisions. But it's interesting to follow instead of soap operas .
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Old 19th April 2013
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I saw the commercial where everyone starts breakdancing after using the Surface tablet for a few seconds. So, I'm thinking, "Damn. Microsoft is desperate,"; but, I see another singing commercial and shake my head.
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Old 19th April 2013
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I hate that commercial. It screams "I'm trying to look relevant, even though I'm a dinosaur from days past". I mean, I'm no fan of Microsoft, but enough is enough...it's embarrassing!
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Old 22nd April 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rocket357 View Post
As am I.



Speaking strictly from a serious computer nerd's point of view, I am concerned. Looking at it from the public point of view, though, it makes perfect sense.

It's just disheartening, that's all.
Me too, my livelihood is being destroyed. If I can't have a real computer, I'm switching to radio, even if I have to learn radio theory.
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Old 22nd April 2013
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Just assemble your computer yourself. It is not that difficult. Even I can do it

In 1990 I was given an 80386 system by the Taiwanese company I was working for. That was the last 'ready-made' system I used. Since that time I always assembled them myself. Only exception was a HP Proliant that I bought for 250 Euro last year.
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Old 23rd April 2013
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In Mother Russia, computer builds you.
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Old 30th May 2013
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The sun will come up after all, if not tomorrow then later this year, for Windows 8 users:

Windows `start' button is back as Microsoft frantically backtracks

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