Technology changes quickly – today’s popular devices may be obsolete in only two years. Manufacturers debut new hardware every year that threatens to replace the previous generations. Recently, it’s become apparent that the desktop PCs may eventually be replaced by mobile computing options like laptops and tablets.
According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, desktops are most popular with older users. Younger users are more likely to own laptops and are the first generation to prefer mobile options to their stationary counterparts. Some industry experts aren’t prepared to say that desktop PCs are obsolete, but that time may be coming.
Desktop PCs used to be viewed as the most functional devices, but recent technological advances have given laptops equal footing. Manufacturers can now build mobile computers with strong performance power without adding extra weight to the hardware.
Additionally, cloud services have contributed to the growing popularity of laptops. Users can store all of their content to digital lockers, which eliminates the need for sizable desktops that are capable of saving large libraries of files.
What about the business world?
Desktops are viewed as necessities by most businesses. Desktop computers usually last longer than most laptops, and companies don’t have to frequently replace vital hardware. However, the need for desktops could soon decrease as working on-the-go becomes more popular.
According to a recent report from the United States Census Bureau, 9.5 percent of the American workforce telecommutes at least once a week. Additionally, 4.3 percent of employees work remotely for the majority of the week. As communication and information technologies advance, more workers are encouraged to leave their offices behind and perform their work at home.
Laptops aren’t the only tools that allow workers to stay at home. Tablets have grown increasingly functional over the last few years, and new productivity apps have improved the mobile devices’ performance. Employees can video conference and send faxes via tablets and eliminate the need for traditional office hardware.
The customizable desktop PC
On the other hand, desktops are extremely customizable, giving users the ability to build and create exactly what they want. This is particularly popular among PC gamers who need systems that require a lot of processing and GPU power to play those graphics-intense PC games. While there are great gaming laptops out there, with desktops, gamers can select exactly what components they want and continually upgrade them to the latest and greatest on the market.
What do you think the future holds for desktop PCs? Do you think desktops will eventually become obsolete?
I don’t believe the desktop will ever be obsolete. They may be replaced by more mobile devices in many areas, but never obsolete. There’s always going to be a large group of people who love the customization of components that building a PC provides. Especially among the gaming community.
Eventually they will be obsolete, but only in the same way computers that take up entire rooms aren’t really around anymore. Still, we have the human factors of size. For example, microSD cards are pretty much as small as they need to be, maybe too small, as we can lose them, so computers don’t necessarily NEED to be the size of a postage stamp there’s a point where too small is just as unmanageable as too big. We can get them to a certain convenient size and level of airflow and sort of build on that. Right now we are seeing some mightly powerful Mini-ITX machines, so computers that are the size of today’s dual nas enclosures are probably common in five years and after that’s it’s down to the size of ashtrays and
might be that what kills the desktop isn’t the mobile as it is now, but the ability to translate spoken word and thought into information processing. Because then, what’s the point of sitting at a desk if I can work while thinking in any chair in the house. If I can code with my mind and target tasks properly, then a proper headset display could work for me. Also wearable computers that can recharge based on motion is an attractive opportunity for growth.
U got a very valid point. But as long as voice recognition is bad as it is now desktops will stay put. I also feel that it will get smaller.
Desktops will become obsolete. But we live in a world where millions of businesses are dependent upon in-office staff. That means desktops, since they are the most economical option for that kind of environment.
They will go away. It will just take either a) a very long time or b) a significant leap in handheld mobile tech…along the lines of the advent of the microprocessor. It has to be that big a change in price and performance to get away from a build structure that’s so in tune with what the big buyers need.
I don’t think they will ever go obsolete, and I agree exactly with Jonathon
Nobody’s mentioned this– network speeds may someday be fast enough to rival the bus speeds inside the computer. It would then be feasible to have most users on a very simple terminal of sorts, likely in a tablet or laptop form. All of the processing power would be in the cloud, and some people could be swayed with a pay for what you use model. Let someone running the server worry about hardware upgrades.
Except for gamers I believe that desktop computers in the home will eventually become obsolete but that businesses will continue using desktop computers indefinitely for a number of reasons. It is true that any program that will run on a desktop will also run on a laptop but when it comes to running highly advanced and specialized applications desktop computers tend to provide a more convenient operating environment. Today’s desktop computers can be customized to interface with highly sophisticated laboratory or industrial equipment but that advantage is slowly disappearing as wireless interface devices are designed to meet these requirements, this may or may not be a plus. Wireless links are prone to interference and are not as reliable a hard-wire connection with the device being controlled which would rule out using a laptop if reliability is critical. A company that uses hundreds or thousands of computers may find it easier to track, monitor and maintain desktop computers over laptops. Security is a big concern for businesses, laptop computers are small and portable and can be stolen or lost which could be costly to a business, desktop computers are less likely to be stolen.
I run a IT business and most of my computer repairs are mainly laptops, a growing trend is that desktops are declining in the consumer market. But in the other hand i have a lot of small businesses with desktops. I agree with jonathon that they wont disappear for a very long time. I guess we have to wait and see what the future holds and see how quantum computing will do in the future.
The PC will never become obsolete, tablets is just a FAB, i have owned one as well as most of my family, and they all end up returning to a laptop, so maybe the desktop share might shrink, but x86 laptops will always be the true king!
EVERYONE ALWAYS RETURNS TO A LAPTOP, FACT!
To many gamers out there for that this to happen.
Architecture is a slow business, and city planning even slower. – Richard Rogers