সোমবার, ১২ নভেম্বর, ২০১২

Long Live The Desktop PC - FrugalBrothers Software, Inc.

One thing I love about technology is the next big thing. The one thing I hate about technology is the next big thing. In my case it?s the love hate relationship I?m having with mobile devices of all types, phones, tablets, laptops, and so on. You see, first and foremost I am a desktop PC kind of guy, and I tend to favor Macs (Yes Macs are personal computers too.)

To me it?s all about the absolute value that I receive in terms of a technology purchase. What that really means is I factor not only the initial cost of a device, but also the reason I am buying it, how I will use it, and given proper care the economic life of the purchase. Lastly I consider the total cost of ownership. Or (T.C.O.) Actually the acquisition costs are the least important part of my decision making process.

To me a desktop computer provides incredible value because of its functionality such as more powerful processors, more memory, larger hard drives, expandability, and vast amounts of connections such as USB ports. The desktop PC also lets me upgrade a portion of the machine that needs it, more easily than a laptop. Adding a new graphics board, ram or hard drives in my 2009 Mac Pro is a breeze, and helps keep it running well.

Like may people I have a workflow that dictates the software I must use, but also the hardware I must use to be efficient in my daily tasks. An Ultrabook, or a laptop just doesn?t easily give the flexibility to add my 3 24? displays, my mixer, usb webcams, run 2 different virtual machines and edit video, audio simultaneously. Yes this stuff is part of my daily workflow.

I also segment function to achieve the best workflow possible. My tools have specific purposes. My Desktop is for productivity applications (not Apps) and, content creation. My laptop is for traveling and making sales calls. My iPad 2 is strictly for content consumption, and in my mind a luxury device. My iPhone has replaced my Phone, GPS, Point and Shoot camera, MP3 player and is a modern version of the Palm Pilot (Remember those?)

This brings me to mobile devices. Yes I am not immune to the throng of tech reporters and vendors espousing the future of cloud based mobile computing. The tablet killed the netbook, and by the looks of Microsoft Surface Pro, quite possibly the Ultrabook. But it will many years before it will kill off the venerable Desktop computer.

I am also not keen on replacing perfectly good machines because of the next big thing. Think about this. Are you using your tech you already own to it?s fullest potential? A Desktop PC is a great investment for the long term. These are not throwaway devices like tablets and phones.

So what?s my inspiration for this article? Well recently I visited the Best Buy store in Fort Wayne, and to my surprise I discovered that the ?main? isle that used to display all the latest desktop machines as been replaced by gleaming android based tablets, and a few select Ultrabooks joining them in the perimeter. This area is the main hot spot of the computer section. Only 2 PC?s and they were all in ones with Windows 8 on display. The desktop PC workhorses had been delegated to lonely isle that seemed to be mostly abandoned.

It would appear at first blush that consumers are being pointed towards a new world of disposable limited function tech that could over time become more costly and less efficient than purchasing a Desktop or even a laptop computer. Already people are returning their Microsoft Surface tablets upon learning that these machines will not allow them to install their favorite software.

For some people a tablet is a perfectly acceptable computer and will meet their needs quite nicely. For the Japanese, the smartphone has become their PC. For the rest of us that appreciate the overall value a Desktop PC offers, there is no substitute today or for the foreseeable future.

Source: http://www.frugalbrothers.com/2641-long-live-the-desktop-pc/

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