My opinion on laptops for the future.

[Nichola Ginovaef]

In the past few years we have seen a great increase in the purchase of laptops, so much more than desktops and that left me thinking: Since the future is apparently going mobile (smartphones/tablets/powerful laptops,etc..), don`t you think manufacturers might start investing more time into making more powerful laptop components and spend less time in the desktop department? I`m not saying that desktops are dying, just that high popularity of laptops might spark an increase in power for said laptops and these might become mainstream enough for desktops to be something of a smaller target for businesses only to be used inside offices and such while the most of the general public uses laptops.
Just a thought, what do you think? Do you think that laptops may become just as powerful as their desktop counterparts and perhaps even cheaper ?

 

[unoriginal1]

That trend has already taken place and has been geared towards the "mobile" sector for some time now. To answer your question of do you think laptops will become just as or even more powerful then desktops? No. Not even close. Cooling is a HUGE issue with laptops. You simple don't have the room to move the heat around like you do in a desktop. Desktops will remain around for quite some time for business's and enthusiasts. But as far as the average user (browser types) that will become almost completely laptop/tablets.

Until technology changes to the point where heat is not an issue desktops will remain relevant. Just my .02 cents

 

[Nichola Ginovaef]

I believe technology will reach that point someday, but since the average user mostly uses laptops/tablets and such, it may motivate manufacturers to resolve the overheating issue quicker to make mobile devices even more attractive.

 

[zdbc13]

Tablets will soon take over from laptops and desktops. It's inevitable. There will still be niche markets for them but a tablet with a keyboard dock and powerful cpu/gpu combinations and ssds will win in the long run. I love gaming pcs but the future is dim for them except for extreme gamers and poor folks. Even those markets may be taken by tablets.

 

[ram1009]

Some of you need to review the laws of physics. Some need to take a first look. The most powerful mobile device at any given time will NEVER be even close to being as powerful as the most powerful desktop device. Personally, I don't own a portable anything and probably never will. They are expensive, high maintenance throw-away toys. It doesn't matter how powerful or heat efficient mobile components become because you can always put the same components in a desktop and do much more with it. Until they change the laws of physics heat will always be the limiting factor.

 

[zdbc13]

ram, you are correct at this time but look at the history of technology. It's your choice to be stuck in the past and I respect your opinion. I have a different one and stand by my prediction. My old mainframe buddies said the pc would never make a significant impact. They were dead wrong. Most mainframe and supercomputers now use pc derived parts. Server manufacturers are now (esp. google and facebook) converting to arm architecture instead of 86. When you have a device that will fit in your pocket, around your wrist, or on the bridge of your nose that will perform almost as well as your I7 then we have a very big paradigm shift. Especially when wireless technology will allow you to view and input to the device to/from big screens, awesome sound systems, and automatic controls for home and office.

 

[unoriginal1]

Agreed Ram1009. (on the heat issue) But the companies won't pay attention to these laws nor do they care. Supply and demand runs everything. The demand is in the mobile sector. Except for the limited few like yourself, myself and all of the other enthusiasts that frequent these forums.

I agree with zdbc13 only because that is where the demand is going. What follows demand? answer = money. That's the bottom line for any and all companies. They can give a hoot about what is more powerful etc. They would drop the desktops in a heart beat if they started to lose money off it. Which unfortunately is starting to become the trend Apple has already proved to the world that people are willing to buy inferior technology if it's the "cool" thing to do. An right now, Tablets, Small, Mobile is cool.

 

[Nichola Ginovaef]

Not to mention that a good number of years ago we would never imagine that there would be small, portablet devices that allowed you to connect to the internet with very robust speeds, watch youtube videos, check in your email, read PWP, Word and Excel documents, with full HD screens, with fast a good Os`s and now we have them about everywhere.

 

[zdbc13]

The price will go down and the performance will go up. My dad bought a 4.77mhz IBM PC in 1982. My first was an AT clone I think 12mhz in '85. Now we're going over 4ghz, 8 cores, incredible graphics often in much smaller cases than we had then. There soon may be little difference between a "mobile" and a "pc" device. And the convenience is so great. Taking your main computer with you to the store, office, travel and connecting almost anywhere to fast internet is becoming the standard. My eyes are getting weak and I love my 24" monitor but that doesn't mean I won't be getting a tablet soon. I'm a "cheap old bas***d" but when prices with 4g, gps, 10" screens come down to a couple of hundred dollars what will I have to lose?

 

[Nichola Ginovaef]

The price will go down and the performance will go up. My dad bought a 4.77mhz IBM PC in 1982. My first was an AT clone I think 12mhz in '85. Now we're going over 4ghz, 8 cores, incredible graphics often in much smaller cases than we had then. There soon may be little difference between a "mobile" and a "pc" device. And the convenience is so great. Taking your main computer with you to the store, office, travel and connecting almost anywhere to fast internet is becoming the standard. My eyes are getting weak and I love my 24" monitor but that doesn't mean I won't be getting a tablet soon. I'm a "cheap old bas***d" but when prices with 4g, gps, 10" screens come down to a couple of hundred dollars what will I have to lose?

Agreed, specially on the 4G, since it`s still a relatively new technology, it`s expensive as hell, give it about 3-4 years more and prices should drop to that of 3g networks.

 

[ram1009]

Agreed Ram1009. (on the heat issue) But the companies won't pay attention to these laws nor do they care. Please explain how to ignore the laws of physics. I've been trying ot do so all my life. Supply and demand runs everything. The demand is in the mobile sector. Except for the limited few like yourself, myself and all of the other enthusiasts that frequent these forums.

I agree with zdbc13 only because that is where the demand is going. What follows demand? answer = money. That's the bottom line for any and all companies. They can give a hoot about what is more powerful etc. They would drop the desktops in a heart beat if they started to lose money off it. Which unfortunately is starting to become the trend Apple has already proved to the world that people are willing to buy inferior technology if it's the "cool" thing to do. An right now, Tablets, Small, Mobile is cool.[/quotemsg]


All of you keep repeating how powerful these devies are. That's not in dispute, at least not by me. I say again that no matter how powerful or fast any portable device is today or ever will be it won't come close to a desktop computer. It just can't happen.

 

[zdbc13]

You're right, of course, but when that difference becomes too small to notice where do we go? I say we go mobile all the way. I'm watching the neurological news for processor implants into our nervous system. Can't wait to daydream my way into my favorite po*n site while waiting in the doctor's office...

 

[unoriginal1]

Agreed Ram1009. (on the heat issue) But the companies won't pay attention to these laws nor do they care. Please explain how to ignore the laws of physics. I've been trying ot do so all my life. Supply and demand runs everything. The demand is in the mobile sector. Except for the limited few like yourself, myself and all of the other enthusiasts that frequent these forums.

I agree with zdbc13 only because that is where the demand is going. What follows demand? answer = money. That's the bottom line for any and all companies. They can give a hoot about what is more powerful etc. They would drop the desktops in a heart beat if they started to lose money off it. Which unfortunately is starting to become the trend Apple has already proved to the world that people are willing to buy inferior technology if it's the "cool" thing to do. An right now, Tablets, Small, Mobile is cool.

All of you keep repeating how powerful these devies are. That's not in dispute, at least not by me. I say again that no matter how powerful or fast any portable device is today or ever will be it won't come close to a desktop computer. It just can't happen.

[/quotemsg]

I think your misunderstanding what I'm trying to say. I 100% agree with you that more room will always = more power. Simply because you can push more air, make things cooler. What I'm trying to say is that it's getting to the point (almost) where smaller can run Most of if not everything that the *normal* user wants to. You, I, and every other person on here are not your average users. What I mean by they will Ignore it is that they simply will not sell (or sell in a very very limited #) desktops or anything that takes up room like your mid/full sized towers do now a days. basically it's getting to the point where they start loosing money trying to sell desktops versus selling tablets and laptops. I just don't see desktops being able to hang in a market where the smaller (cooler and not by temp ) devices are taking over. They will think about the money first.

 

[zdbc13]

I guess we're looking at the same thing from different perspectives. You are absolutely right. The supercomputer at the Lawrence Livermore Lab will always outperform my mobile device, I'm not questioning that. Even your PC will "always" outperform it to some degree. But I've seen the difference go down amazingly fast. I think that little 50th generation arm processor will surf the internet almost as fast as your Intel I23 (the distant successor of the I7). It will certainly do all my word documents and spreadsheets fast enough that I won't be able to tell the difference. And if some of the cloud computing ideas develop it may be able to out-blast your PC in games and graphically intense applications. So why not accept the reality that I see broadcast on every news service, blog, tech site around? Tablets are taking over from PCs. I'm not trying to take your PC away from you and I'll probably always have a PC too. But my kids may never buy another PC and I really doubt their kids will ever own one.