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tablets sales were rising rapidly, the result was obvious.
but, those are just some forecasts, anything can happen.
 
I can only speak for myself, but I still don't see the appeal of an iPad (or any other tablet) - it can't make calls, has nowhere near the functionality of my MacBook Pro, and is only slightly more portable that my MBP. It doesn't replace either device, and can't do anything that my current devices don't do. In other words, I would have to carry it in addition to my current devices, all for features I already have. Obviously many people have uses for tablets, as they're insanely popular, but I just don't see the point. To each his (or her) own, I guess!
 
I can only speak for myself, but I still don't see the appeal of an iPad (or any other tablet) - it can't make calls, has nowhere near the functionality of my MacBook Pro, and is only slightly more portable that my MBP. It doesn't replace either device, and can't do anything that my current devices don't do. In other words, I would have to carry it in addition to my current devices, all for features I already have. Obviously many people have uses for tablets, as they're insanely popular, but I just don't see the point. To each his (or her) own, I guess!

Well i use it for work now, but it depends on the work.
Some examples
-> Managing todolists, project management is done mostly portable if i am at other desks.
-> presenting shots, grafics, doing annotations is rather easy.
 
For consumers they'll go to $0. The best selling computers, Mac & PC for awhile have been laptops. The consumer desktop is likely to go way of the dinosaur by decade's end.

But take a look at another vintage electronic box, the VCR. When DVD peaked & only a couple companies still produced VCRs they were under $50 at stores because demand was low. Economies of scale is just another phrase for supply & demand.

The only problem with the VCR analogy is that this technology had already been as refined as it was going to be by the early nineties. All the major R&D costs had long been paid. It wasn't constantly evolving as computer hardware continues to do.
 
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Let's talk about ... "don't own or stopped using a Mac/PC". Which would be people who are not going to buy a Mac/PC again. In that case, many of the iPad / tablet owners that I know personally (not professionally) fall into that category.

.


So everyone who is an iPad owner also owns a Mac/PC, but you know some folks who have stopped using their computer and when it breaks they say they will not replace it? They won't even get a cheap PC?

But no one you know has actually gone Mac/PC free in their house right? So there is a little bit of conjecture in your and their statement.

I can't imagine too many folks being completely PC free. I think folks will want a bigger screen to connect their tablets to at the very least. But TVs might be the answer there very shortly.
 
Well if Microsoft would get off their a-- and get Office out for iPad then it would replace the PC for most...haha.

But seriously, Apple should do something like you are talking about and a better file system/storage, it would replace it for most.


Office for iPad has been finished they just didn't want to release it until they found out/find out Surface is a dud product. After selling 1 million Surface Dablets in 6 months vs. Apple's 19M-23M iPads a month they should be coming around shortly so office may finally show up on the iPad next year.
 
"Apple's success in the education market has proven that tablets can be used as more than just a content consumption or gaming device," said Jitesh Ubrani, Research Analyst for the Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker. "These devices are learning companions, and as tablet prices continue to drop, the dream of having a PC for every child gets replaced with the reality that we can actually provide a tablet for every child."

To do anything useful other than content consume and use Apps / games, I personally need more screen space than an iPad can provide. I still need to use either my laptop or Mac to do anything productive in a timely fashion.

I wonder on what basis it is claimed that this is 'proven'? I can see how they are convenient to store and use, but I need convincing that an iPad can currently replace a PC / MAC. What about teaching children basic computer science, you cannot do this with an iPad.

To me this is just dumbing down in terms of computer literacy.
 
To do anything useful other than content consume and use Apps / games, I personally need more screen space than an iPad can provide. I still need to use either my laptop or Mac to do anything productive in a timely fashion.

I wonder on what basis it is claimed that this is 'proven'? I can see how they are convenient to store and use, but I need convincing that an iPad can currently replace a PC / MAC. What about teaching children basic computer science, you cannot do this with an iPad.

I think you are purposely setting the bar too high here. An iPad isn't meant to replace everything a PC can do. It's success is based on the fact that a PC is overkill for many use cases.

Most people still need a PC. Obviously, computer science would still be taught on a PC for the most part. I'd bet most iPad sales are replacing a second or third PC, though I do know a couple people who only use an iPad.

To me this is just dumbing down in terms of computer literacy.

That assumes computer literacy is a goal, rather than just the knowledge needed to use a tool. :)
 
Is this really surprising? $400-$600 machines in a relatively new and emerging market will be outselling $700-$2000 machines (in a 25+ year mature market) in the foreseeable future. Hmmm. Genius prediction.

But I highly doubt tablets will exceed ALL PC markets by 2015...there are just so many things a Tablet cannot do that so many PCs can. Maybe in 2025.
 
Office for iPad has been finished they just didn't want to release it until they found out/find out Surface is a dud product. After selling 1 million Surface Dablets in 6 months vs. Apple's 19M-23M iPads a month they should be coming around shortly so office may finally show up on the iPad next year.

The Surface is a branding tool for Windows 8, with an intentionally limited supply chain to give OEM's some breathing room. They didn't even start rolling out to Europe until last week.

You think they're in it for hardware sales. They're not.
 
I don't see this as a problem for PC makers as long as they get smarter about hardware design and Microsoft stops being stupid with their desktop OS.

Apple did it write with one mobile platform and one desktop platform.
 
The Surface is a branding tool for Windows 8, with an intentionally limited supply chain to give OEM's some breathing room. They didn't even start rolling out to Europe until last week.

You think they're in it for hardware sales. They're not.

Honestly you can label it whatever you want, but it's a dud product. Generally early numbers are indicative of of long term growth possibilities. If demand was voraciously outgrowing supply it would have been all over the news and that's ultimately what MS needed to happen for this product just to get third parties on board even if they had ridiculously low manufactured product.
 
The only problem the VCR analogy is that this technology had already been as refined as it was going to be by the early nineties. All the major R&D costs had long been paid. It wasn't constantly evolving as computer hardware continues to do.

If that were true then the big VCR makers would have just pushed out the same box year after year, but they didn't. There were constant improvements to quality and features up until about 2000 when the DVD gains mass consumer attraction. Only after 2000 did many companies stopped selling VCRs and the remaining ones stopped developing new stand-alone models, but kept making and selling VCRs.

But also, if you want to stick with your statement, the same CAN be true with consumer desktops. Box makers don't do much R&D with $399 machines. They take a PC board and slap a chip on it, some RAM, a fan, and power supply and slap it in a case. But all of these parts were not specifically designed for a $399 PC; they are hand me downs or modifications of parts developed for business and science; the ones that companies will still make even after tablets run the table. So, just like VCRs, the R&D will have been paid for previously when it comes to the cheap-o consumer models.
 
Honestly you can label it whatever you want, but it's a dud product. Generally early numbers are indicative of of long term growth possibilities. If demand was voraciously outgrowing supply it would have been all over the news and that's ultimately what MS needed to happen for this product just to get third parties on board even if they had ridiculously low manufactured product.

Early numbers showed the devices sold out. But analysts turned it around and said MS intentionally constrained supply. So it's like, if it sells out it doesn't matter. But if it doesn't get iPad numbers, then it's a dud.

There's a healthy middle somewhere in there that's being ignored
 
I can't imagine too many folks being completely PC free. I think folks will want a bigger screen to connect their tablets to at the very least.

Yet. But go back to 2001 & take that sentiment and substitute landline phone for "PC". The PC-less home is coming just as soon as the robust, but not clunky, tablet OS arrives. I think we are looking at iOS 9 or 10.
 
If that were true then the big VCR makers would have just pushed out the same box year after year, but they didn't. There were constant improvements to quality and features up until about 2000 when the DVD gains mass consumer attraction. Only after 2000 did many companies stopped selling VCRs and the remaining ones stopped developing new stand-alone models, but kept making and selling VCRs.

But also, if you want to stick with your statement, the same CAN be true with consumer desktops. Box makers don't do much R&D with $399 machines. They take a PC board and slap a chip on it, some RAM, a fan, and power supply and slap it in a case. But all of these parts were not specifically designed for a $399 PC; they are hand me downs or modifications of parts developed for business and science; the ones that companies will still make even after tablets run the table. So, just like VCRs, the R&D will have been paid for previously when it comes to the cheap-o consumer models.
I said "computer hardware", as in the chips inside these machines. There is still tons of R&D being done in the areas of CPUs/GPUs/etc. Sure tablets need processors and such too, but these chips are built with a much greater emphasis on power efficiency and compactness. A shrinking PC market may eventually lead to an increased cost in relatively high performance hardware. (for those fewer and fewer people who will still need it)
 
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In the past, if you wanted to do email and web at home, you needed to purchase a personal computer. That just isn't the case anymore.

In the future, I think there will be a lot of people graduating from college that use a company furnished PC for work and a tablet for home computing. Why purchase a full blown computer for casual use? Especially, young single professionals. The point is that, in the past, folks had a work PC and a computer at home. For many folks, this is just not necessary.
 
sure, this makes sense.
Many people don't need a full pc at home.
It isn't going anywhere though.
I think the amount of gamers are underestimated by most here.
Others with a/v interests and such will probably enjoy a full pc as well.

Unless battery tech vastly improves and full desktop parts can be put in mobile devices (with adequate cooling).
 
sure, this makes sense.
Many people don't need a full pc at home.
It isn't going anywhere though.
I think the amount of gamers are underestimated by most here.
Others with a/v interests and such will probably enjoy a full pc as well.

PC gaming isn't what it used to be. Costs have just gotten so high that for the Developers it is usually more economical to just port the console version. Most have even gotten rid of the stuff that made PC gaming truely superior, like mod support, level editors, and dedicated servers.
 
Anyone who thinks an iPad type device will ever be anything more than it is right now is kidding themselves. It's a novelty and purely a consumptive device. Sure, there's fringe use for actual productivity, but it will never replace a true laptop, let along desktop. Any desktop sales lost are from people who didn't need one in the first place and browsing the web and playing Angry Birds is all they were after.

Now, the W8 laptops I'm seeing with a touch-detachable screen is another story.
 
Rumors have been very lackluster lately, especially with WWDC in two weeks.
Hopefully they pick up soon! :D

I sure hope so. Especially when it comes to the iPhone. What relatively little we've had in the way of rumors has been rather dull, unimaginative, and suggests that the style will remain the same. Bleh!

Apple really needs to catch up and bring up something fresh in design, since obviously they are moving forward on iOS 7. After all if they can sell this many of the same old design, something fresh would really make a statement. :)
 
Yet. But go back to 2001 & take that sentiment and substitute landline phone for "PC". The PC-less home is coming just as soon as the robust, but not clunky, tablet OS arrives. I think we are looking at iOS 9 or 10.

Hmm, I'm going to slightly disagree there. Cell phones were immediately and obviously superior to landlines. They only had a cost issue. Them phasing out was fairly obvious.

I'm a big believer in tablets. I think everyone will want to view electronic content on a screen that is handheld, but larger than pocket size. However, I believe they will also want to view content on a screen that is larger that sits on their desk. And they will want to view content on a really big screen that sits on a wall. Blackberry thinks all of these things will eventually be driven by your cellphone. I'm not sure if I buy that. Similarly, your tablet might at some point doc into your desk monitor where you have a mouse and keyboard. You can do that now if you want.

But PCs have two advantages, it will always be cheaper to put more processing power into a PC form factor than into a tablet form factor. As long as the average person can use that extra power, they will probably have a PC in the house. And there are thousands of developers and companies out there making software that you might find useful. But maybe eventually folks won't need that power. And to the extent they need it, it might all be in the cloud. So all everyone will need will be a screen of the desired size, the input device appropriate for the setting (and that might largely just be spoken commands) and connection to the internet.

But none of this is entirely clear. If PCs stayed super expensive, I'd say they would disappear. But they keep getting cheaper and cheaper as well. So Tablets are fighting a moving target in trying to replace them entirely.
 
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