Why Are PC Sales Up and Tablet Sales Down? • Hacker News Board

Re: Why Are PC Sales Up and Tablet Sales Down?

#31

Post by enrmarc » Sun, Aug 24, 2014, 5:11 PM UTC

Maybe the problem is the software and not the hardware? I mean, people are used to software like Microsoft Word and this kind of software is vaguely imitated in the tablet world. Even if that were the case, you have to buy an external keyboard (because nobody wants to use the soft keyboard when dealing with important documents) and maybe a mouse because after working you want to play a (decent) game (decent games require the use of mouse, right?).

At the end of the day, you have a tablet + keyboard + mouse and a "limited" OS (limited compared to a real OS like Mac OS X/Ubuntu/Windows). Compare this configuration with a Mac Book Air. Who wins?

Re: Why Are PC Sales Up and Tablet Sales Down?

#32

Post by mattdlondon » Sun, Aug 24, 2014, 5:13 PM UTC

About these super tablets... "...least a 13” screen, 64 bit processor, 2GB of RAM, 256GB drive, a real keyboard, an actual file system, and an improved operating system with windowing and true multitasking capability..."

They've just described a laptop/chromebook, right?

Re: Why Are PC Sales Up and Tablet Sales Down?

#33

Post by michas » Sun, Aug 24, 2014, 5:15 PM UTC

johnchristopher wrote: post #24

zo1 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

" Also there's no mobile network operator who will give you one "for free" every two years when you renew a contract. " I live in South Africa, and that regularly happens here. People take out 2 year contracts for "data" and get tablets/laptops for free along with it. I suppose it's not so common in more developed countries where most mobile internet packages are "unlimited". Here, they're very much limited to multip…

No. In Western Europe, where I live, we also have a lot of mobile packages that bundles a tablet/phone for 1 euro and a data subscription plan that is often limited to 50 or 500mbytes. For instance my mobile phone plan includes 60 minutes of free phone call, 50mbytes of data, free call to people on the same operator on the week-end and unlimited SMS for 9euros/month. There's a 15euros plan that includes 500mb and 150…

Really? that's what Western Europe has to offer? In Poland I have a plan that gives me unlimited phone calls and SMS to all mobile operators in Poland, and 1GB internet for about 10 euros/month. Also, you can have tablet for 25 eurocents with data plan that cost you about 25 euro a month here.

Re: Why Are PC Sales Up and Tablet Sales Down?

#34

Post by jayd16 » Sun, Aug 24, 2014, 5:18 PM UTC

mattdlondon wrote: post #32

About these super tablets... "...least a 13” screen, 64 bit processor, 2GB of RAM, 256GB drive, a real keyboard, an actual file system, and an improved operating system with windowing and true multitasking capability..." They've just described a laptop/chromebook, right?

Basically they've only described the Surface.

Re: Why Are PC Sales Up and Tablet Sales Down?

#35

Post by ams6110 » Sun, Aug 24, 2014, 5:19 PM UTC

randallsquared wrote: post #28

The "super tablets" that the article claims as the next step are what every nearly tablet before the iPad tried to be, and they universally fell on their face.

In arguing for "super tablets" the author writes: PCs are expensive, prone to failure, easy to break and magnets for viruses and malware. After just a bit of use, many PCs are susceptible to constant freezes and crashes.

I don't see how a super tablet addresses any of that except perhaps cost. Ever drop a tablet? Have it fall into water? Ever see people using phones and tablets with shattered glass? I don't see them being less "breakable" than a PC, in fact much moreso because they are being moved around a lot more. They are also a lot more likely to be stolen, misplaced, or lost. And a tablet, especially one that runs MS Office, would not be any less of a target for malware than a PC, nor any more immune to it.

Re: Why Are PC Sales Up and Tablet Sales Down?

#36

Post by walterbell » Sun, Aug 24, 2014, 5:20 PM UTC

srean wrote: post #25

Question to HN: has anyone tried the Onyx Boox series of ereaders sized 9" and over ? I am getting tempted, no small part of the temptation is the fact that its software stack seems entirely open source, based on Linux and the source code is on Github. That seems just perfect. The only thing that bothers me is that it is somewhat pricey $300+ and am not too sure about its performance. I lug around quite a big pile of…

The problem is that no mainstream vendor is selling an open e-ink device. Nook came close, then changed their policy. These smaller vendors don't usually survive.

Re: Why Are PC Sales Up and Tablet Sales Down?

#37

Post by hyp0 » Sun, Aug 24, 2014, 5:21 PM UTC

altcognito wrote: post #12

It is only a matter of time before someone sells a "docking station" for smartphones with HDMI outputs to a monitor and a keyboard/mouse setup as a replacement for a desktop. (if it doesn't exist already)

I do all my browsing and coding on a phone + bluetooth keyboard. It's inconvenient in some ways, but still more conveninent than my desktop.

Phones may replace desktops more surreptiously, in the way that laptop HDD form-factors inflitrated desktops. We may get a "desktop", that looks like and behaves like a desktop (including software), but whose innards is technology borrowed from phones. ARM, cell network, etc. The keys: it's powerful enough and it's cheap.

Re: Why Are PC Sales Up and Tablet Sales Down?

#38

Post by voteapathy » Sun, Aug 24, 2014, 5:21 PM UTC

Just a general thought. At some point (for consumers anyway), these paradigms will unite. As such, what will follow is the necessity for window management that can handle different use cases. Right now the only OS really attempting to bridge the gap is Windows 8, which is currently an unfortunate juxtaposition of two battling WM's rather than a seamless unification. Apple isn't really bothering to unify at the moment, Google isn't sure what it wants to do, and desktop linux (though I primarily work in linux) really is a less quality product.

I'd argue that window management innovation has been a terribly sorry state for quite a while. I mean, I would venture a guess that the increasing prevalence of browser-based tools is in part a result of a lack of [good] innovation by WM's (of course, as well as better tools for web app developers). Mobile OS's have been the only thing to really shake things up.

I'm not sure exactly what my point is here. Just a general feeling that we're going to continue to debate on the differences between tablets and pc's until someone actually goes ahead and creates a useful WM for both use cases. Windows 8 is an okay start in that regard, but I feel there's a way to do it better.

Re: Why Are PC Sales Up and Tablet Sales Down?

#39

Post by johngalt » Sun, Aug 24, 2014, 5:23 PM UTC

Tablets are getting squeezed. The app driven, web-consumption use case for tablets is getting eaten by smartphones. Meanwhile PCs are still necessary for heavy usage. Put yourself in an average user's shoes. You already carry around a subsidized smartphone more capable than most tablets, and you can pick up a $500 laptop to handle everything else.

IMHO, a few years from now you'll have a more mature application ecosystem and better docking solutions for smartphones. Once people can use their smartphones with a full size keyboard/mouse/monitor, it's game over for tablets and PCs.

Re: Why Are PC Sales Up and Tablet Sales Down?

#40

Post by Pxtl » Sun, Aug 24, 2014, 5:24 PM UTC

I'm betting a couple of factors:

1) XP is finally too dead to even consider continuing to use. You can't get by with IE8.

2) Windows 8.1 has mitigated windows 8 problems. This is probably helping a lot of folks through the 7/8 anxiety.

3) Companies not named Apple haven noticed that their laptops are ugly clunky hunks of plastic and are working on ultrabook-form-factor laptops, placing them only half a decade behind Apple.