Ballmer: PC Is Our Primary Focus

Status
Not open for further replies.
G

Guest

Guest
The desktop will survive as long as there is always a killer app that requires the computing power only a desktop can provide. Right now I would point to Gaming, Video/Editing, 3D modeling and painting, and various other more work/science related programs.

In a5 years maybe cell phones will catch up to a PC right now and can play games in 1080p, but then maybe in a 5 years we will want to be playing in 3D Quad HD.
 

RabidFace

Distinguished
Nov 18, 2009
210
0
18,690
How blinded do you have to be, to think the PC will ever die? I mean...really.

The PC will never die for one reason and one reason only: it is the backbone to the ENTIRE world. Even someone as smart as Ray Ozzie, to make such a blanketed statement, mind boggles me.

If PCs die, what is this world going to be run by, tablets? HA! :D

The PC will also never die because, THE "Personal Computer" will NEVER die. Whoever thinks any different is an idiot :D



 

suisenbenjo

Distinguished
Aug 7, 2010
24
0
18,510
I think people who predict the PC dying off are doing so based off the idea that portable devices like smartphones are going to be able to perform most of what we have come to associate with PC's. The PC's themselves, however, have come a long way as well and will continue to do so and so while I can agree that for many tasks, the PC will be replaced and in fact has already, there will always be new applications for our increasingly powerful desktops/workstations that mobile devices of the time can't handle.
 

iLLz

Distinguished
Nov 14, 2003
102
1
18,680
In a5 years maybe cell phones will catch up to a PC right now and can play games in 1080p, but then maybe in a 5 years we will want to be playing in 3D Quad HD.

While I agree that technology will no doubt get much better for cellphones in 5 years, I doubt it will play games in full HD. Not for more than 15 mins anyway with the battery tech we have now. I believe in 2014-2015 we will have a quadcore version of the snapdragon platform. Whether it has more advancements beyond just adding cores is yet to be seen. I do know it will be clocked higher than 1Ghz. I am pretty sure it would have more improvements but noone have been discussed as of yet.
 

jj463rd

Distinguished
Apr 9, 2008
1,510
0
19,860
Saying that the desktop PC will eventually die is like saying that motorcycles will replace the automobile.Each has their place and function.
I also agree with stm1185.The desktop will always get more powerful every year and mobile devices will just be playing catch up.
 

Haserath

Distinguished
Apr 13, 2010
1,377
0
19,360
Of course PCs will die, the human race can't last forever ;)

If there isn't enough demand to keep PCs as a via le solution then there is a chance that they will stop being sold. AMD's Bobcat will most likely have enough speed for 80% of the people out there, but maybe the enthusiast market will be able to keep itself alive if there is enough money in it.
 

carlhenry

Distinguished
Aug 18, 2009
197
0
18,690
pc won't die. i don't want to game, heck even work in a tiny screen. hey, if they can invent a portable system unit that will act as your phone and just jack it up to your monitor then i guess pc's will die. hmmm... no i guess not. if it is a system unit replacement then it will still be a pc. argh..... what the hell is a PC nowadays? everything is so personal and has a cpu, hd, ram, and a gpu. long live pc! i think it is inevitable that the hardware would get smaller and get integrated onto a single chip.
 

thechief73

Distinguished
Feb 8, 2010
1,126
0
19,460
Finally, an industry leader says some really smart things and doesnt sound like he/she has thier head stuck up a really dark spot or living in thier own little imaginary world. Its quite refreshing.

+1 to stm1185 and jj463rd
 

Vermil

Distinguished
Jul 22, 2009
107
0
18,680
Now THAT is what we want to hear Ballmer say!
But talk is cheap. Now do something.
(Funny, this came only hours after I had my say on the matter. Did he read my post?)
 

JOSHSKORN

Distinguished
Oct 26, 2009
2,394
19
19,795
Mobile devices just need to become more unified so we don't have to carry around separate devices for every little thing. For instance, I really hope that one day, an iPhone, or a DROID, or a Windows Mobile phone or any of these other variants, will replace the need to have an extremely good digital camera, and also have integrated a mobile gaming system, sort of like what is rumored for the PSP2. Most of the smart phones now already have GPS capabilities. I also hope that vehicles will become standardly equipped with radios that have the capability to connect with your phone. Also, I'd like to see the same integration system in mobile PCs that some car stereos have. That is, don't even require a cable, and with the touch of a couple of buttons, your mobile PC will find the nearest phone and sync with it.

Aside from the mobile world, I hope the PC solution is here to stay. Desktops and maybe even touch screen PCs, like the HP TouchSmart. You can do so much more with a desktop that just simply isn't possible (yet) with a mobile PC. Desktop PCs NEVER have to worry about running out of battery, or their battery getting old. Desktop PCs NEVER have to worry about their screens turning pink and wearing down, because you can just as easily go out and buy a new one. Desktop PCs are easily upgradeable, part-by-part, as well.
 

hemelskonijn

Distinguished
Oct 8, 2008
412
0
18,780
Two assumptions here are really funny specially combined.

First the PC might die but that depends on your definition of PC, if like back in the day when we used home computers we start using a different type of system though the purpose remains the same you could chose to believe it lived or died that's up to you. Personally i think there is a good chance that we will be using terminals hooked up to (in home) servers who in turn are hooked up to giant mainframes a couple of decades from now. Now we might not call them terminals or mainframes but the way they will interact will be virtually the same (in a way this is starting already with "the cloud").

The second assumption is that Microsoft needs the PC for their biggest and best known product, windows. Microsoft could easily provide terminals access to a remote Windows session and busyness wise this would make way more sense then selling licenses. Per consumer every 3~5 (guesstimating of the average lifespan of a computer) years 14~200 USD (guesstimating the OEM prices and retail prices) or monthly a nice round 5 USD. The added advantage is that a person paying for such service is not bound to one terminal (read can use his or her files and applications anywhere) while it would be nearly impossible to pirate such a software license model.
 
G

Guest

Guest
What is the next step for the PC? Remember all that talk about merging the PC with our home appliances, environmental control, security and entertainment systems. I still think its a good idea and for some reason has not been realized yet.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.