Woah woah woah there! Not a chance. Talk about jumping the gun.
The history of Laptop sales say not too many are fussed with games which obviously favours a larger 'hotter' size.
I'd love a Padfone 2 or Infinity. That Super IPS also sounds the best screen by miles.
Very strangely an Engadget review complained about it being too bright(in the dark!)but never once mentioned its performance outside.
Let's me do two completely separate things on the two screens, full screen. For example, writing this on one and either playing a Blu-Ray disc or watching BBC1 HD live from satellite on the other. With still half of one screen to spare.
iMac is a big step up from a laptop and most desktop PCs though, I'll give you that. At a price! :eek:
Nothing stopping you connecting an external monitor to an iMac. Although you do need the corresponding adaptor for HDMI/DVI/SVGA etc.
Mine has Windows 8 running on the left screen right now.
Certainly, if it has 1920 x 1080 dual 27 inch screens, a 4 or 8 core 3.6GHz processor, 16GB memory, dual 3TB hard drives, power graphics and audio cards to match, a full size keyboard, an optical mouse/pad and you can open the case to insert a variety of powerful add-on cards, a Blu-ray/DVD burner and large speakers and is fully Windows 7 compatible.
Oh...
Surely an efficient and effective PC would be configured with an Open Operating System - such as Linux, Unix, and not burdened with any Closed Operating System?
I got the impression that the iMac was mentioned because it was all-in-one and therefore somewhat portable though! With a second screen, plug-in Blu-Ray player, usb tv Tuner card etc., it would just be one more powerful desktop. I have no problem with Macs (apart from price!).
Surely an efficient and effective PC would be configured with an Open Operating System - such as Linux, Unix, and not burdened with any Closed Operating System?
You would, naturally, have more than one O/S available to dual triple or quad boot, or virtualize. I think W7 should be one of them.
I got the impression that the iMac was mentioned because it was all-in-one and therefore somewhat portable though! With a second screen, plug-in Blu-Ray player, usb tv Tuner card etc., it would just be one more powerful desktop. I have no problem with Macs (apart from price!).
The thing is that the Surface is becoming a tablet with the power of a laptop with a detachable keyboard and the entire thing could be dockable anyway.
So you could have a tablet with the processing and screen and it just docks into the desk with extra screen and mouse etc.
So its replacing the desktop in a sense that it becomes the desktop.
Can anybody ever see a tablet which could mean you don't need a PC?
For some tasks, yes. Even tasks that the majority of users would do on a day to day basis. But no tablet is ever going to be a replacement for a large screen and fast processor, etc, when used for graphic design, or other quite high end uses.
As someone who has a foot in the Android and iPad camps, the one thing I would really love, is if there was a blutooth trackpad that worked with the iPad, especially, as I find it very frustrating not have that mouse equivalent when working on larger documents on my iPad. The worst thing is Apple do make a tackpad device, but so far it only works with iMacs.
I think there'll always be a need/use for a non-portable, upgradable computer system in a house.
Whether that is a desktop computer as we know it today, or a computer in the cupboard under the stairs, running numerous work-stations about the house (including TV wall-screens), and controlling heating and lighting and communication etc.
I don't think so. Desktops are still necessary for a lot of people. Gamers, business/enterprise users, graphic designers, photographers, musicians, video editors, database developers, programmers, software developers and hobbyists all want/need desktops. Some people like the flexibility of being able to upgrade parts in a desktop and the ability to run several OSes and have several monitor setups. My dream computer setup is a 12 core Mac Pro with two or even three (Apple) monitors attached Tablets will never replace laptops either. Some people (like me) still prefer keyboards and desktop OSes as opposed to giant phones for doing work and web surfing on the move.
No, not any time soon anyway. In my opinion tablets are great on the go for occasional surfing, and running a few essential apps on it, but tablets are still not as advanced as personal computers to replace them completely. Having said that, it's inevitable that tablets will evolve in the future to replace desktop computers. One day we'll all be using wearable computers anyway (glasses, watches etc.).
It's certainly conceivable that before long the processing power and amount of ram in tablets will approach those in computers. Hard disc and optical drive storage become irrelevant if users' data files are held on servers ("in the cloud" as the current marketing jargon would have it).
However, the advantages of a having a full size mechanical keyboard, a decent-sized screen, and a mouse, make tablets awkward to use for anything other than watching videos and other similar consumption activities - for which of course they can be ideal.
Peripherals can be attached to tablets but then the cost and hassle make a conventional laptop a preferable choice IMHO. I'm also worried about how long tablets' connectors and their soldered connections to PCB tracks will last if peripheral devices are being frequently connected and disconnected, although wireless connections would get round that problem of course.
Hard disc and optical drive storage become irrelevant if users' data files are held on servers ("in the cloud" as the current marketing jargon would have it).
That's the last thing I'd do on a "power" tablet or portable anything, keep my data in the cloud! Lose your connection, and when out and about that is far from unlikely at times, and you're stvffed! :eek:
Mind you, the cloud is another discussion altogether, don't get me started on that!
I think for general "day-to-day" usage a tablet will become the device of choice for most people.
However I also think those who need more serious computing power will still have a desktop/laptop PC as well because there are some things you just can't do easily on a tablet. Certainly for processor and memory intensive work, like image manipulation for example, the PC in whatever format will be the device of choice for a long time to come yet.
Unless they are members of an undiscovered tribe in the Amazonian rain forest, I think there's a fairly good chance that they'll be fully aware of the existence of PC's.
Tablets are fine as a quick web browser, or media player etc. I have an ipad and realy only use it to browse, i still do 95% of other things on my laptop as my ipad cannot even do the most basic of funtions.
For example, I have a CD I want to put onto itunes - cant do it on an ipad. I take photos on my digital camera and want to upload them - cant do that on an ipad. I want to type very long text with a proper keyboard - cant do that on an ipad. I want to upload and edit a video I have recorded on my video camera. Cant do that on an ipad. I want to burn a dvd - cant do that on an ipad. Etc etc etc.
Yes I know people will reply that you can buy various this and that add ons to make it possible, but the things above I have listed are simple basic functions which laptops have been doing for god knows how many years. You spend £500 on a tablet and then have to spend even more for things which mean its not even a tablet anymore.
A nice looking machine, and amazingly with a 2 year warranty.
And they think that people still like to play the occasional DVD.
For a school age student, that or a tablet?
I like it and it runs Linux, which is great, but.
Like laptops if anything goes wrong it can be a pain to fix.
Not much power to do CPU intensive stuff.
Not able to upgrade with ease.
Linux is nice, but the software is not around for it.
but still a nice machine for a bit of office work and browsing the net
Ubuntu system recovery CD/DVD
______Pre-installed software______
Ubuntu Software Centre app store
LibreOffice (office applications)
Thunderbird Mail
Adobe Reader
Mozilla Firefox web browser
Gwibber
Skype
Ubuntu One Music Store
Shotwell Photo management
Ubuntu One Personal Cloud
Comments
The history of Laptop sales say not too many are fussed with games which obviously favours a larger 'hotter' size.
I'd love a Padfone 2 or Infinity. That Super IPS also sounds the best screen by miles.
Very strangely an Engadget review complained about it being too bright(in the dark!)but never once mentioned its performance outside.
How very weird.
Mine has Windows 8 running on the left screen right now.
Macs can have 2nd displays.
You would, naturally, have more than one O/S available to dual triple or quad boot, or virtualize. I think W7 should be one of them.
The thing is that the Surface is becoming a tablet with the power of a laptop with a detachable keyboard and the entire thing could be dockable anyway.
So you could have a tablet with the processing and screen and it just docks into the desk with extra screen and mouse etc.
So its replacing the desktop in a sense that it becomes the desktop.
For some tasks, yes. Even tasks that the majority of users would do on a day to day basis. But no tablet is ever going to be a replacement for a large screen and fast processor, etc, when used for graphic design, or other quite high end uses.
As someone who has a foot in the Android and iPad camps, the one thing I would really love, is if there was a blutooth trackpad that worked with the iPad, especially, as I find it very frustrating not have that mouse equivalent when working on larger documents on my iPad. The worst thing is Apple do make a tackpad device, but so far it only works with iMacs.
Whether that is a desktop computer as we know it today, or a computer in the cupboard under the stairs, running numerous work-stations about the house (including TV wall-screens), and controlling heating and lighting and communication etc.
However, the advantages of a having a full size mechanical keyboard, a decent-sized screen, and a mouse, make tablets awkward to use for anything other than watching videos and other similar consumption activities - for which of course they can be ideal.
Peripherals can be attached to tablets but then the cost and hassle make a conventional laptop a preferable choice IMHO. I'm also worried about how long tablets' connectors and their soldered connections to PCB tracks will last if peripheral devices are being frequently connected and disconnected, although wireless connections would get round that problem of course.
That's the last thing I'd do on a "power" tablet or portable anything, keep my data in the cloud! Lose your connection, and when out and about that is far from unlikely at times, and you're stvffed! :eek:
Mind you, the cloud is another discussion altogether, don't get me started on that!
However I also think those who need more serious computing power will still have a desktop/laptop PC as well because there are some things you just can't do easily on a tablet. Certainly for processor and memory intensive work, like image manipulation for example, the PC in whatever format will be the device of choice for a long time to come yet.
short circuit evaluation.
Give em a tablet and they will know no better.
Could young non PC owners evolve into an underclass, even if they have moved one step forwards?
For example, I have a CD I want to put onto itunes - cant do it on an ipad. I take photos on my digital camera and want to upload them - cant do that on an ipad. I want to type very long text with a proper keyboard - cant do that on an ipad. I want to upload and edit a video I have recorded on my video camera. Cant do that on an ipad. I want to burn a dvd - cant do that on an ipad. Etc etc etc.
Yes I know people will reply that you can buy various this and that add ons to make it possible, but the things above I have listed are simple basic functions which laptops have been doing for god knows how many years. You spend £500 on a tablet and then have to spend even more for things which mean its not even a tablet anymore.
Not for me at the moment, Tablets are not powerful enough and don't have large enough screens.
Maybe one day in the future if I stop doing video editing stuff, but they will still need a keyboard and mouse.
i have not found a use of a tablet yet to be honest.
http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2013/03/hp-launch-ubuntu-all-in-one-pc-for-349
A nice looking machine, and amazingly with a 2 year warranty.
And they think that people still like to play the occasional DVD.
For a school age student, that or a tablet?
I like it and it runs Linux, which is great, but.
Like laptops if anything goes wrong it can be a pain to fix.
Not much power to do CPU intensive stuff.
Not able to upgrade with ease.
Linux is nice, but the software is not around for it.
but still a nice machine for a bit of office work and browsing the net
If school work needs to be in Word and Excel format, could that be a problem with a Linux-based computer?
This is not an issue as LibreOffice can handle those formats with easy
Ubuntu system recovery CD/DVD
______Pre-installed software______
Ubuntu Software Centre app store
LibreOffice (office applications)
Thunderbird Mail
Adobe Reader
Mozilla Firefox web browser
Gwibber
Skype
Ubuntu One Music Store
Shotwell Photo management
Ubuntu One Personal Cloud
An obviously nothing is locked.