Administrator DKT27 Posted October 9, 2012 Administrator Share Posted October 9, 2012 Steve Jobs piqued consumer curiosity when he unveiled the iPad and declared "the post-PC era has begun." And now with the imminent release of Windows 8 RT tablets—low-powered slates running a touch-friendly version of Office—it might seem that perhaps the world actually can live without desktop computers. It's an intruiguing proposition, but don't count on mobile devices killing off your desktop PC any time soon. While mobile gear is certainly convenient when you're trying to conduct business on the go, it's nowhere near as convenient as a desktop when you're trying to complete serious work in an office environment. Sure, your phone, tablet or even laptop might conveniently fit in your pocket or backpack, but all these devices are fraught with compromises, whether it's computing power, screen size, or, well, a really expensive price tag. No, friends, the so-called post-PC world is not yet upon us. But if you're still not convinced, here are ten reasons you shouldn't give up your desktop any time soon. Desktop PCs are cheap Desktops are cheaper than laptops—both when you buy them new, and when you have to make repairs. There are a few reasons for this, but the main reason is that mobile components are more expensive, because they're, well, smaller, and expensive engineering is required to make them fit inside your laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Desktop components don't have to be nearly as small or fit together like jigsaw pieces, because a roomy desktop tower is a heck of a lot larger than even the most generously sized laptop. Of course, to be fair, you pay for more components when you purchase a laptop—you're also purchasing a screen, keyboard, and trackpad. But, of course, you can pick up a keyboard and a mouse for around $5 each, and a decent 24-inch monitor can cost as little as $50. Dell XPS 8500 But laptops usually cost at least (if not well over) $60 more than corresponding desktops. For example, a Dell XPS 8500—which has a third-generation Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 1TB hard drive, and an AMD Radeon 7570 discrete graphics card—costs $799 on Dell's website. Meanwhile, a similarly-equipped Dell Inspiron 14z laptop—with a third-generation Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, and an AMD Radeon HD 7570M graphics card—costs $999. Desktops are more powerful Desktop processors are more powerful than corresponding laptop processors. And I'm not even going to get into mobile ARM processors (that is, the processors running in most phones and tablets), since the comparison is laughable. Let's just say this is a case in which size definitely matters. Laptop processors are not only smaller than desktop processors, they're designed to use less energy and produce less heat. There are a several reasons for this: First, laptops usually run on battery life. Because of this, mobile processors are designed to conserve battery life. Second, laptop processors are fitted into a tight, closed chassis, and surrounded by a couple of small fans—and they're still prone to overheating. Desktop processors, meawnhile, are lucky enough to sip an endless supply of juice from a wall outlet, and they can be surrounded with fans or even a liquid cooling system to keep their temperatures down. Thus, they're not only more powerful, they can also be easily overclocked to run at even higher speeds. You can plug a ton of peripherals into desktops Let's say you want to plug in an external mouse and an external keyboard. Can you also plug in a USB-connected headset? If you've got a laptop, probably not. As laptops get thinner, port offerings decline. Most laptops these days have a couple of USB 2.0 ports, though higher-end systems might throw in a USB 3.0 port here and there. Most tablets have one USB 2.0 port (except for the iPad, of course, which boasts a whopping total of zero USB ports). Desktops, on the other hand, usually have a minimum of four USB 2.0 ports, and most have many more. Plus, desktops have tons of other connectivity options that only the highest-end, most gamer-oriented laptops might include—these options include eSATA, VGA, DVI, HDMI, and multiple audio lines. You get extra screen real estate with desktops Studies have shown that more screen real estate can make you more productive (or more productive at being unproductive). Need more screen real estate? This can be accomplished in two ways: with a larger screen, or with multiple monitors. The largest laptop screen you can find on the market is 17.3 inches, and it's huge—for a laptop, that is. But a 17.3-inch laptop screen is nothing compared to a 20- or 24-inch stand-alone monitor. Plus, a 17.3-inch laptop is usually too bulky for you to tote around comfortably, which means your laptop may essentially become a desktop. Most laptops don't support multiple monitor set-ups, though you can try USB-powered displays or using your tablet. Desktops, on the other hand, are built for multiple monitor setups and, depending on your graphics card, you can support two or three or four (or more) monitors for maximum productivity or maximum gaming. You can play (real) computer games on desktops Alienware M17x R4 Okay, to be fair there are gaming laptops out there, and they're not bad. For example, the Alienware M17x R4 features an Intel Core i7-3720QM processor and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 680M discrete graphics card. But can it really compare to a gaming desktop, such as the Maingear Shift Super Stock, which houses an Intel Core i7-3960X processor and three AMD Radeon HD 7970 graphics cards? I don't think so. Graphics-intensive Crysis is used in PCWorld testing. Graphics-intense PC games put systems to the ultimate test, as they require as much processing- and GPU-power as possible. And, let's face it—you can stuff three graphics cards into a desktop tower (plus liquid cooling, an awesome sound card, and, hey, even some extra gaming peripherals). On the flip side, a hardcore gaming laptop can accomodate just one measly (albeit sometimes moderately powerful) graphics card—and that's inside a device that's barely even portable. Fixing a desktop is easy Three years ago, the graphics card in my husband's laptop died. We're still not sure what happened, but all of a sudden, the screen started artifacting and displaying colorful squiggly lines, making things generally unreadable. He took it to the Apple store (it was an old MacBook), and they opened it up and told him the repair job would be expensive. Total cost of repairs: $800. Two years ago, my graphics card died. Nvidia posted a faulty driver; I was playing a game at the time, and before they could correct the driver (a mere 24 hours later), my card overheated and fried. I went to Best Buy and picked up a new (non-Nvidia) card and replaced it myself in about 10 minutes. Total cost of repairs: $80 The moral of the story: If a desktop component craps out on you, it's easy to purchase a new one, whether it's a graphics card, the monitor, or even the processor. But if a laptop component craps out on you, well, good luck. You can use creative software efficiently on a desktop Sure, today's laptops can run creative software, such as Adobe Photoshop or Premiere—but you won't enjoy your time with these applications when fighting with your laptop's trackpad or puny screen real estate. To be used efficiently, creative software requires a powerful processor, a high-end graphics card, lots of screen real estate, and peripherals—a keyboard, a mouse, and maybe even a drawing tablet. A laptop with the required specs would either be insanely expensive or physically impossible (in the case of a much-larger screen). A desktop with decent specs, however, will be able to run this software just fine. You can recycle a desktop as an NAS device…or a fish tank When your laptop or tablet dies, it can be recycled as a laptop- or tablet-like device, such as a kids-only laptop, or a kitchen-only tablet. In other words, your recycling options are limited. But desktops can be recycled into a variety of different uses, such as a home server or as a network-attached storage (NAS) device. If you'd rather not repurpose your desktop as a machine, you can always clean it out, sell your parts on eBay, and turn the tower or old monitor into a fish tank. (If you truly need the power, you can also turn an old fish tank into a build a desktop PC. Seriously—anyone! An Intel Core i5-2500K processor Not only are there tons of websites and articles dedicated to helping people build their own systems, the components also are readily available. Towers and cases can cost as little as $19 (check out this DIYPC DIY-5823 from Newegg.com), while a second-generation Intel Core i5-2500K processor—the same processor that we currently use in our PC testing model—is just $220. By comparison, building a laptop is…tricky, if not impossible. Components are more expensive and less powerful, and you have to get them to fit inside a laptop chassis. There's pretty much no chance you can build a laptop from the ground up, either—you'll have to pick out a bare-bones laptop and upgrade it as much as the chassis allows. Long live the desktop! Don't get me wrong—laptops, tablets, and smartphones are undeniably essential to most people's modern-day lives. But as long as desktops are cheaper, more powerful, and more versatile, they'll always have a place. 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Alanon Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Well, if you ask me, gaming is the only reason why PC's are still active on the market. I mean, with the designation of laptop, netbook, ultrabook, subnetbook, and yes, even the iPad a, mobility has been covered and they all perform basic text, internet and multimedia manipulation pretty much evenly. The PC is the world's most powerful gaming console, and will be for a long time to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedrito Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I bought a laptop a year ago and I don't intend to buy another one ever again! :pos:The only advantage I see in it it's the portability... :duh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eternal X Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 PC's are active in the market due to workplace environments they are to exist regardless of gaming. PC's were really not meant for gaming they were for corporate use and some developers thought some leisure time on the workstation can reduce stress upon using a PC for work only. Gaming has evolved and now PC dominates in all areas of productivity and leisure time. PC will keep living. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabben Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Forever? That's kind of hard to belive... we can't see 10 years ahead but i agree. Desktop PC is not dead and won't be for a long time. It will change, that's for sure. I think the touchscreen will be a part of it very fast and when the voice control kicks in(like in Star Trek :) ) we can throw away the mouse and keyboard. But that's just my fantasy. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anakin206 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I think the touchscreen will be a part of it very fast I want to see you using a PC with touchscreen for an entire day and then come back to tell me your experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borat Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 .......The only advantage I see in it it's the portability... :duh: Agreed..will never phased out my desktop at home.. :showoff: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ck_kent Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 Well, if ever desktop PCs get obsolete, I hope Parallella supercomputer or Xi3 modular computer replaces it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabben Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 I think the touchscreen will be a part of it very fast I want to see you using a PC with touchscreen for an entire day and then come back to tell me your experience. Anytime. Just give me that PC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluffy Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 And another idea = there should be an external keyboard and mouse which are optional for tablets so it's sometimes easier to game with!! Oh and how about getting a feature of joysticks so you can game on tablets so we just need to stick to one thing which would reduce costs of gaming consoles, etc. And we should be able to connect iPads, windows tablets, etc. To he tv directly wirelessly instead of VGA cables...[ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgamma Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 I prefer also at my home the desktop pc with a big screen for working, gaming and entertainment. I cannot stand small screens even with a 17' on a laptop. Desktop pc covers different needs and all the other devices again different needs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marik Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 desktops will never become obsolete as long as there are games meant for them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nIGHT Posted November 18, 2012 Share Posted November 18, 2012 I bought a laptop a year ago and I don't intend to buy another one ever again! :pos: The only advantage I see in it it's the portability... :duh:And the list of disadvantages are poor battery life, small display, overheating... and on ... and on. :D PC's are active in the market due to workplace environments they are to exist regardless of gaming. PC's were really not meant for gaming they were for corporate use and some developers thought some leisure time on the workstation can reduce stress upon using a PC for work only. Gaming has evolved and now PC dominates in all areas of productivity and leisure time. PC will keep living.The gamers demands makes the PC more expensive. Who would ignore that kind of market, ;) I would like to see them render a full 3d polymesh on a laptop without overheating. :P Windows 8 Rocks on the Desktop & Laptop... :wtf: "Sarcasm Off" ^_^ :tooth: Well, if ever desktop PCs get obsolete, I hope Parallella supercomputer or Xi3 modular computer replaces it.' :dribble: I prefer also at my home the desktop pc with a big screen for working, gaming and entertainment. I cannot stand small screens even with a 17' on a laptop. Desktop pc covers different needs and all the other devices again different needs...I can see that plugin in a 40" inch 4K Large LED screen. :notworthy: desktops will never become obsolete as long as there are games meant for themThe one that said that "the post-PC era has begun", he who must not be named :beg: :pope: , is just bitter for all I know. His competitors was way ahead of him in this market-WII,PS3 and XBox, and as I know of him as a man of great ego he didn't want to be a follower but rather he wants to be the first one to break the ice. He blinded himself with his own delusion. :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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