Rules: No Hating 

I'm sure a lot of you have heard about HP's latest move concerning it's PC division. You've also heard about the conclusions of many stakeholders.

Here's one that stands out:[size=15pt]THE PC ERA IS COMING TO AN END[/size] 

What do you guys think about this? Do you think it's true? What does it mean for developers and enthusiasts? Short and long term effects?

Here's my analysis:

[size=15pt]It's really coming to an end. Why?[/size]
 
First of all, why do most people use PCs?

For years, tech companies made large PC sales by advertising it as an entertainment system. People could watch, listen and save large amounts of digital media on them. It was cool and interesting. But it never got beyond that. At least for the average consumer.

  What this meant was that people just used the PCs for basic stuff,  or underused them. The PC as we know it, to the general public is(or was?) just a phase. True or false?

   I think true because with the onslaught of new sets of devices (which we may finally accept as competitors to the PC), people began to abandon PCs and switch to these new devices. They are trendier, cooler and unfortunately, the average user thinks most of these are better than the PC.

  They may be right,  A device may just be as good as what you use it for. These average users only use the PCs for basic stuff. Why should they burden themselves with bigger heavier devices when smaller devices fulfill their needs?

   To the average user, the PC era might as well be DEAD. WHO CARES?

   To developers and other users such as hardcore gamers however, the PC is still very much needed. We are not yet ready to let go. DAMN YOU HP FOR MAKING US GO THROUGH THIS HELL.  When ipads and other tablets can do half of what the PC's do, we'll think about it but for now, nada. Thanks.

   [size=15pt]Anyways, Conclusion: It'll no doubt come to an end. I mean the current way of things. Afterall, We've always wanted our devices to become smaller and powerful (except for screen size of course).  I think users and developers stand to benefit. Forget about HP. If they can't produce something decent for people, That's their luck. Bye Bye HP[/size]

   [size=15pt] But Seriously, Tablets may just evolve into smaller, more powerful PCs. Right now, they're just smaller, less powerful PCs. Don't argue.[/size]

I'm not a developer, just a high end user though I manage a large scale data center.

Between my iPad and iPhone, I have been using my iMac very little. When I need to do anything Windows intensive I use my NetBook.

Corporate wise, we've been migrating end users to thin PC.

HP leaving the market is not a biggie, a Chinese company will slide in there. Dell is still a strong runner as is Lenovo and Apple.

I was thinking of building a media center around Windows PC but then I purchased a PS3 and that took care of that need.

PC is not coming to an end. Not in our lifetimes.

I agree with the OP. The PC era is coming to an end.
We are going to witness a fairly rapid transition to various devices, like phones and tablets; things that are more portable and more dumbed down to make them user friendly.

Desktops are slowly becoming a no-no in the World of computing. Already, there are several phones that pack the processing power of lower end computers; that trend is only set to accelerate in the next few years. If Mr and Mrs average can carry all the processing power they require in a cheap device in their pockets, why would they want a hulk of a PC? And why would they want to lay out extra cash? All they want is a device that can take pictures, send emails, connect to facebook, display videos and maybe act as a remote control.

A good pointer to the future is the direction OS manufacturers (led by Microsoft) have taken for the future. The upcoming Windows 8 is not based on the PC as previous Windows incarnations were; it is instead based on touch-screen portable devices (mainly on the tablet).
With Windows 8, everything you learnt about programming is going to be thrown out the window. Its a brave new World out there.

Beaf:

With Windows 8, everything you learnt about programming is going to be thrown out the window. Its a brave new World out there.

You are joking right? smh

There is a paradigm shift in computing and those who fail to tool up will be left behind. The PC is indeed dying off fast.
This is a quote from the official Windows 8 blog:

But so much has changed since Windows 95—the last time Windows was significantly overhauled—when the "desktop" metaphor was established. Today more than two out of three PCs are mobile (laptops, netbooks, notebooks, tablets, slates, convertibles, etc.). Nearly every PC is capable of wireless connectivity. Screen sizes range from under 10" to wall-sized screens and multiple HD screens. Storage has jumped from megabytes to terabytes and has moved up to the cloud. The appearance of touch-screen mobile phones with the rich capabilities they bring, have together changed the way we all view computing. Most of all, computing is much more focused on applications and on people than on the operating system itself or the data. These changes in the landscape motivate the most significant changes to Windows, from the chips to the experience.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/08/15/welcome-to-building-windows-8.aspx

HP ditching their PC division? That sounds like a joke. Their Touchpad failed in the market (it's now $99). I wonder how they plan to survive. The PC era may not be dead yet but it's hanging on a thin ledge. Most medium to heavy tasks that a typical CPU carries out can and have been done on smaller devices (Ever hear of the Motorola Atrix?). New android phones are flaunting 1.2GHz DUAL CORE processors with GeForce GPUs. Now remind me why I or anyone else needs a PC, ?

Beaf:


With Windows 8, everything you learnt about programming is going to be thrown out the window. Its a brave new World out there.

How does that blog assert this ^^^

^
Learn what a PC is first, then actually read the Microsoft blog next.
Besides, you've not made a single argument, because its obvious you have none. Abi I lie?

Do you even know what Windows 8 is? Lol!

Do I need to make an argument? Its a question, How does that blog assert this

Beaf:


With Windows 8, everything you learnt about programming is going to be thrown out the window. Its a brave new World out there.

?? Simple question really.

Mobinga:



Do I need to make an argument? Its a question, How does that blog assert this


?? Simple question really.

With due respect, its a stup!d question.
No developer is expected to ask such, we are all supposed to be highly clued up on technology.

Read and inform yourself before joining arguments. Luckily, its easy to trap your type, we just allow you run around making daft statements, then gboza! We shoot you down. Lol! Its a terrible place to be.

Today, we also talked a bit about how developers will build apps for the new system. Windows 8 apps use the power of HTML5, tapping into the native capabilities of Windows using standard JavaScript and HTML to deliver new kinds of experiences. These new Windows 8 apps are full-screen and touch-optimized, and they easily integrate with the capabilities of the new Windows user interface. There’s much more to the platform, capabilities and tools than we showed today.

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2011/jun11/06-01corporatenews.aspx

If you are actually clever, you just might notice that html and javascript can leverage native functionality and are the tools of choice in Windows 8.
So, please before asking stup!d questions, actually do some fact finding.

^
Abeg go and rest! Be quiet if you have nothing of importance to add to the topic.

The OP specifically asked for civility and the first thing Mobinga does is pop in with absolutely zero arguments to mock the OP. Then a couple of us pip in and the same ignorant twit pops in asking stup!d questions and mocking. How can a developer be loud yet empty, only to turn around and mock others?
Dude, if you support that I won't be shocked, your antecedents precede you.

Do you have anything of use to add to the topic?

This is a highly informative topic that will be of immense help to a lot of those still in school, as well current C#, WPF and possibly Win32/COM devs. Lets get our heads screwed on and leave foolishness apart.

Beaf:

With due respect, its a stup!d question.
No developer is expected to ask such, we are all supposed to be highly clued up on technology.

Read and inform yourself before joining arguments. Luckily, its easy to trap your type, we just allow you run around making daft statements, then gboza! We shoot you down. Lol! Its a terrible place to be.

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2011/jun11/06-01corporatenews.aspx

If you are actually clever, you just might notice that html and javascript can leverage native functionality and are the tools of choice in Windows 8.
So, please before asking stup!d questions, actually do some fact finding.

Here's a quote from the article.

The full capabilities of Windows continue to be available to you, including the Windows Explorer and Desktop, as does compatibility with all Windows 7 logo PCs, software and peripherals.

However, You've not still answered my question.

Beaf:

With Windows 8, everything you learnt about programming is going to be thrown out the window. Its a brave new World out there.

What blog did you get this from ^^^?


You take this arguing thing too seriously, resorting to insults  Read your post and see how foolish you've just been.

^
Add to the topic or shut up.

Mobinga:

Here's a quote from the article.

However, You've not still answered my question.

What blog did you get this from ^^^?

You take this arguing thing too seriously, resorting to insults  Read your post and see how foolish you've just been.

Like I told you, your question is stup!d,
If you knew what Windows 8 was, you would know that there are two graphical interfaces. The zany touch-screen one will be all html5 and JavaScript, both of which will be GPU accelerated (that's if you know what that means). While the "classic" GUI one will be old tech, dull and incapable of anything to do with the touch-screen. Only a fool wouldn't realise that the old tech bit is on its way out with such disincentives; some companies are already cancelling WPF and C# projects because of Windows 8.

You came in here foolishly mocking people while basking in ignorance, now you've been hit with the force of reality you feel its insulting?
LOLZ!

Meh. With all due respect you are a fool.

If you think there is going to be some major change in either the standard interface or development tools in Windows 8 is a fool.

Definitely there would be[b] new[/b] API's and development platforms , but the core tools would remain. 
Listen to what this man says
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p92QfWOw88I


He clearly states that the normal interface which you term "old and dull" would still be available. Yeah^^

You must be daft to think that Microsoft would develop an OS and drop .NET, C# and all the legacy code for HTML5 and Javascript.
If you think that ^ then you must be an illiterate dev.

And what bleeping companies are cancelling C# and WPF? Stop fabricating lines abeg.
Please do some research,

Mobinga:

Meh. With all due respect you are a fool.

If you think there is going to be some major change in either the standard interface or development tools in Windows 8 is a fool.

Definitely there would be[b] new[/b] API's and development platforms , but the core tools would remain. 
Listen to what this man says
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p92QfWOw88I


He clearly states that the [b]normal [/b]interface which you term "old and dull" would still be available. Yeah^^

You must be daft to think that Microsoft would develop an OS and drop .NET, C# and all the legacy code for HTML5 and Javascript.
If you think that ^ then you must be an illiterate dev.

And what bleeping companies are cancelling C# and WPF? Stop fabricating lines abeg.
Please do some research,

Suddenly you are reading up? Good.

It doesn't seize to show the sort of loud cretin you are though. You come on a thread laughing at people, yet you have no clue of what is being discussed. Lol!
Its the typical dugbe market class Nigerian for you.

The "normal [/i]interface" which I class old and dull?
I bet you still use a Nokia 3310, cos its interface is [i]"normal!" Don't you? Of course, touch-screen phones are useless too and aren't replacing your "normal" Nokia 3310 style phone. Na wa o!
See your rewire / vulcaniser approach to technology? Thats why you can laugh even when foolishly ignorant.

Unu go take foolishnes kill animal o!

www.nairaland.com/attachments/493573_ROFLMAO_gif160cac557c463dbfce44052002f9d454

What do you think of this guy? The "normal" battery and "normal" radio still work! Cool? Its all "normal."

Beaf:

Suddenly you are reading up? Good.

It doesn't seize to show the sort of loud cretin you are though. You come on a thread laughing at people, yet you have no clue of what is being discussed. Lol!
Its the typical dugbe market class Nigerian for you.

The "normal interface" which I class old and dull?
I bet you still use a Nokia 3310, cos its interface is "normal!" Don't you? Of course, touch-screen phones are useless too and aren't replacing your "normal!" Nokia 3310 style phone. Na wa o!
See your rewire / vulcaniser approach to technology? Thats why you can laugh even when foolishly ignorant.

Unu go take foolishnes kill animal o!

www.nairaland.com/attachments/493573_ROFLMAO_gif160cac557c463dbfce44052002f9d454

What do you think of this guy? The "normal" battery and "normal" radio still work! Cool? Its all "normal."

Throwing tantrums like a child. No further conversations.

Mobinga:

Throwing tantrums like a child. No further conversations.

Conversations ?
What a sick joke!

Conversations are held between like minds.

ARRGGHHH!!!!! @Beaf wassup na! Am I gonna end up locking this thread? Just answer his question so its all gonna end!

Fayimora:

ARRGGHHH!!!!! @Beaf wassup na! Am I gonna end up locking this thread? Just answer his question so its all gonna end!

Bruv, no vex. I fear your big axe.

I sincerely believe I answered his question, maybe my reply was a bit over illustrated with the battery and radio, but the photo was apt as far as driving the point of evolution of technology is concerned.

Computers started out as mainframes in cabinets that could feel several rooms and used punch cards, things moved in a huge leap to graphical user interfaces from DOS / ASCII style monochrome displays; in the current time, we are witnessing another massive technological leap in both processing capability, form and function, from the mouse and keyboard to more natural input devices (these tend to be in the class of touch sensitive or motion sensing input devices).

Computers are now taking all sorts of incredible new forms and in order to catch up with the above, some of the main players have begun designing their systems around browsers and the web. The Chrome OS kicked off the trend and now the omnipresent behemoth, Microsoft has joined suit. In fact not only has Microsoft joined suit, they have also relegated traditional programming techniques to the background as 3rd class citizens in Windows 8 (designed around IE10). The strange new kids on the block are "immersive apps" created with html5 and JavaScript, which in a mind boggling twist, will not only be able to leverage native capabilities, but will be GPU accelerated.

Suddenly, while C#, WPF, Silverlight all but face deprecation, every Linux PHP web developer will be able to produce engaging Windows apps with touch-screen and other native capabilities using html5 and JavaScript only. Its a paradigm shift of tectonic proportions.

I expect that the new programming bundles in the upcoming Visual Studio to be largely based around JQuery. Its gonna be a very strange place for Windows devs in less than a years time.

Microsoft is going to dump .NET, C#, all legacy codes, powershell for HTML5 and Javascript.

And he is serious.

Beaf:


Suddenly, while C#, WPF, Silverlight all but face deprecation

i cant believe its coming from you

PC era coming to an end? Huh? How can the PC era come to an end when its just starting? PC means Personal Computer. Your phone, calculator, tablet, laptop, desktop etc are all PC's. The proper thing to say is PC's are getting smaller. This isn't new, they were much bigger in the 80's and have been shrinking since. Perhaps the OP meant the Desktop and Laptop era is coming to an end.

Well, i'm in the 3D animation and gaming industry, and our high-end desktops and workstations are pretty much still alive. You wouldn't want to blow off all the ram on your tablet, attempting to render any frame. The PC era is still very much around. Also i don't think developers would enjoy coding/debugging on their smartphones or tablets!

lordbenax:

Well, i'm in the 3D animation and gaming industry, and our high-end desktops and workstations are pretty much still alive. You wouldn't want to blow off all the ram on your tablet, attempting to render any frame. The PC era is still very much around. Also i don't think developers would enjoy coding/debugging on their smartphones or tablets!

Desktops and workstations will always be there as specialist machines for devs, but the consumer market is rapidly moving to dumber, smaller and more user friendly machines.
PC's will survive only as special machines, in a few years time they'll be as rare and expensive as floppy disks.

netghost:

i cant believe its coming from you

Dude, its the sad reality. From Windows 8 onwards, MS is dumbing us down to JQuery and html5; other languages have become second class citizens. All over the web, Windows devs are up in arms about it.

@ Number_One: The issue is that these devices can be classified in different ways and going from popular convention, a PC is a PC and a mobile phone is a

mobile phone no matter how many ghz it claims to possess. PC sales are falling. Average consumers prefer smaller trendier devices and while you may still classify

them as PCs, the effect is still there especially in the books(accounts) of manufacturers and investors who have no doubt began to shift their investments to these

smaller devices at the expense of the PC.

The PC is coming to an end? I do not agree. Usage is definitely declining but it is not coming to an end. The body count is the physical proof.
What do casual users do with a pc? Watch videos, browse, music, read books, which new technology can do. No matter how small and powerful (which they are not) latest devices are, they cannot phase off the PC/Laptop.

The right to say is "casual usage of the PC is coming to an end". It is not coming to an end for everybody. It still remains relevant. People still need to type documents you know?
---
MS:
The prospect of wealth, drives ridiculous ideas. I don’t understand why Microsoft is trying to turn into Apple with all the touch crap (Yes, CRAP, I don’t like touch. Lacks precision to me) .

Contrary to what the neonate says above ( everything you learnt about programming is going to be thrown out the window [snoopfacepalm] )^^ Microsoft is not dumping or trying to phase out WPF, C#, NET and all core API’s for HTML5 and Javascript, how is that even possible?? Development on Windows 8 would focus mainly on HTML5 and Javascript (which as I hate to admit, is pretty powerful :’( ) but the tools we are used to still remains. The entire idea of HTML5 and Javascript as main tools for developing on Windows 8 is a silly idea to me. Those tools are NOT capable of carrying industrial strength applications. Fact.
Microsoft is not stupid enough to force developers to produce stuff Virtual Machines, Photo-Video editing wares, compilers ( :’( ) , device drivers (imagine?) with HTML5 and Javascript.

I can’t fathom how iPads, i-gadgets, touch gadgets can phase out the PC. It is not possible. In 10 years time would you rather type a document on a touch screen (i-gadget) or with the precision of a keyboard and mouse? There’ll probably be a voice to text interface (an accurate one, not all these shit we have now. Yes HTML5 already has a shitty one!), but precision with keys are needed!
iGadgets would evolve, but the traditional keyboard and mouse interface would remain for a very long time. Christ, Its been 30 phucking years since the first one appeared! PC’s itself would die out when electricity dies out.

Casual users are getting dumber and dumber, or perhaps dwell on articles of ostentation.


2 cents.

@Mobinga: People need to type documents, Yes. A lot of people still need PCs but many don't anymore. You're right about describing it as casual usage declining but this will affect production as evident in HP's decision.

I'm talking about those people to whom HP and other companies advertised the PC to as 'entertainment systems'. These people - a very high percentage of PC buyers now have smaller more mobile substitutes and from basic economics, somethings gotta give.

These people no longer need PCs for most of their activities.

  Most can easily plug in usb sticks to transfer files between devices 'almost' eliminating the need  for their PCs.

  I say 'almost' because there are still restrictions and other issues such as file compatibility as well as app compatibility. In the nearest future, these restrictions will decline as these smaller devices will be made more powerful and more efficiient.

  An average consumer in simple terms: PC sales were high because we needed them. Now we have smaller devices. Who needs the PC, give me an ipod, ipad or any good tablet and I'm okay. (Imagine if the ipod had a flash drive and i could plug it in to transfer all the songs I needed to and fro - PC sales will fall overnight).

OP, I think you are right. Tablets and smartphones seem to be the new direction of computing. Supposedly Apple would be the largest manufacturer of computers in the world if tablets are counted along with PCs (don't quote me on this, something I vaguely remember reading).

Not hard to read the direction computing is going, I think.

mobinga: The entire idea of HTML5 and Javascript as main tools for developing on Windows 8 is a silly idea to me.

An obvious reason why you will never work in an innovative firm like Microsoft. People like you continue to see and love yesterday, does any more need be said?
Microsoft has deprecated all you know and there are no sentiments attached, you don't own the platform, they do.

Those tools are NOT capable of carrying industrial strength applications. Fact.

Lol! Microsoft itself is telling you that html5 and JavaScript are going to be the first class citizens on Windows 8, both being capable of handling native functions. Or don't you know what native means?
Dude, go read up on Internet Explorer 10 thats what will run the Windows 8 interface, it might just save your job and your life.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2011/04/12/native-html5-first-ie10-platform-preview-available-for-download.aspx