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Windows The Post-PC Era

Discussion in 'Software' started by Dae314, 20 Aug 2011.

  1. Dae314

    Dae314 What's a Dremel?

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    Ars Technica has a very interesting article regarding the possible implications that Windows 8 poses toward the future post-pc era. The article feels just a bit like it's siding with Microsoft on this (I'd like to side with them too), but otherwise it's fairly objective and informative. I think it does well highlighting the difference between a limited tablet OS and what Windows 8 appears to be trying to do. As a developer and techie, I never liked the idea of having to jailbreak my OS to get full functionality out of it and escape just a little from Apple's straitjacket, so I really hope Windows 8 can usher in an era of more open, functional, and extensible post-pc software.
     
  2. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead It's big, and it's clever.

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    I'm more interested in this,

    "The iPad is king of this world, and though PC sales still dominate, they're flat while tablet sales are growing fast—so fast that the post-PC is widely seen as a threat both to Microsoft and to the PC as a whole. Microsoft can survive short-term difficulties in the smartphone market, as smartphones aren't really PC substitutes."

    This implies that tablets ARE PC substitutes. I can see that web browsing, e-mail, social networking, blogging etc can all be done easily and conveniently on a tablet (or can it?? Typing on a iPad anyone?), the whole "post PC" idea does kind of rely on these being the only uses for a PC.

    Video production
    Photography
    CAD
    3D animation and modelling
    Gaming
    Serious office applications
    Web design
    carry on filling this in in your own time... as it's a long list.

    It may hurt Microsoft, but it won't really be as bad as this article is making out. The home user is not the biggest source of revenue for MS.. not even close. As the thought of filling offices and design studios with tablets is utterly ridiculous, I fail to see what this "Post PC" world's impact will be. Certain entertainment and social functions for a PC will shift to mobile media? Well.. that's pretty much happened already. Those who also have serious tasks to do on their PCs will carry on using PCs (Win or MacOS), and probably carry on using it for social media as well (unless on the move).

    I hate media hyperbole; People actually believe it.
     
  3. Dae314

    Dae314 What's a Dremel?

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    I agree. The tablet by itself right now isn't going to displace PC's completely. However, I believe tablets will have some real potential if they're ever able to integrate with PCs, draw from their power, extend it. I see integration as a necessary step to tablets eventually dominating. If tablets never integrate with the PC then I doubt they will ever completely displace them.
     
  4. oasked

    oasked Stuck in (better) mud

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    Tablets might replace those who just use a laptop now - i.e. some home users. For "serious" or professional users - no chance (at least not any time soon :p)
     
  5. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead It's big, and it's clever.

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    I'm struggling with the concept of it replacing laptops. Typing on a iPad is horrible. The only tablet I'd be interested in is the one that docks with a proper laptop, so you can remove the "tablet" when you need to... but this isn't a tablet.. it's a laptop with a removable touch screen.
     
  6. oasked

    oasked Stuck in (better) mud

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    My view is that there are a lot of users who use laptops don't really care about typing much - they're certainly not going to be typing out long letters. All they do is write occasional emails, look at videos on YouTube and reply to messages on Facebook.

    For these simple activities, they would certainly be tempted by a tablet - especially if its cheap enough and has plenty of marketing behind it.
     
  7. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead It's big, and it's clever.

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    Yup. Agreed. Like I said, this has already happened with people just as readily, or usually more often using smart phones to use social networking. A tablet is a great device for web browsing also.

    Hardly fuel for a "Post PC" revolution though.
     
  8. oasked

    oasked Stuck in (better) mud

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    Agreed. :D
     
  9. Durd

    Durd Minimodder

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    Eugh, "Post PC-Era", another horrible Apple marketing term. :grr:
     
  10. Crackdown_uk

    Crackdown_uk What's a Dremel?

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    Indeed.

    Funny thing is I've noticed a trend with some "casual" PC users who currently own laptops are now looking for a desktop to replace their rapidly ageing technology. Of course having no real upgrade path with laptops has driven this but also the rise of smartphones which make pretty good substitutes, and dare I say it; an interest in PC gaming.
     
  11. OCJunkie

    OCJunkie OC your Dremel too

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    This is all Apple's fault, putting out fashionable products with complete disregard for actual functionality, and the really sad thing is people are eating it up...

    Tablets will never totally replace PC's, the same way as laptops can be a PC substitute but not acomplete replacement. Tablets are just an abomination, a basturd child who doesn't know his palce in the world: too big to be a phone and can't make calls, too small to be a laptop and can't type or use actual PC software. They may replace laptops for those who don't care about typing or doing any actual work and just want to look cool, but to me it's a big fad and people will eventually get over it when the next "thing" comes out.
     
  12. Dae314

    Dae314 What's a Dremel?

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    Following this line of thought eventually leads you to the question "Is a tablet a PC?" Ars Technica has something to say about that.
     
  13. getDownShep

    getDownShep What's a Dremel?

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    When is Post-PC Era supposed to start?
     
  14. OCJunkie

    OCJunkie OC your Dremel too

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    Well apparentlyit already has. But I'm thinking Wednesday.
     
  15. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead It's big, and it's clever.

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    Surely not! The following Monday.
     
  16. Da_Rude_Baboon

    Da_Rude_Baboon What the?

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    We are now delivering a lot of these applications via thin client at work so it effectively becomes hardware agnostic at the user end. Its great for the students as they can access the apps over a broadband connection and dont need a monster PC to run the apps or spend hours rendering. If cloud computing eventually takes off it could be the end of the PC as we know it.

    I think tablets are here to stay but as you have pointed out hey have specific purposes and Microsofts history clearly shows that trying to produce tablets which do everything a PC does simply doesn't work. People forget that Apple didn't invent the tablet, we have had them at work since they first became available and they were always horrible clunky devices.
     

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