Switching to a Mac very soon, BUT.. question!

[sgfernandez]

Hi friends! My name is Sal and I am a semi-new member here... I really enjoy reading the discussions but haven't posted much. As of now, I have been a Windows PC user since I first got a computer (i'm 22, almost 23 and have been using computers for over a decade). However, I have used Apple [non-PC] products for years, like iPods, iPod touch and iPhone. After my recent iPhone 4 purchase, whether coincidentally or not, I am VERY happy to say that I have finally made the decision to switch to a Mac!! (waiting on the new iMac upgrade before making my purchase). Don't get me wrong, I have always highly admired Macs and have used them all throughout school and college as well, however I have never had my own. I think part of the reason was because I was naive and didn't think that having a Mac was practical, or that it wouldn't be compatible with a lot of programs and such. Another reason was the cost factor, since Macs generally cost a bit more than their Windows-based counterparts. Anyway, enough rambling, but I am indeed excited to become a Mac guy !

My question, however, is what you guys think about the future of Apple and the future of desktop computers in general. Do you think that soon the desktop will become obsolete? I know that Steve Job's recent comment about the PC era being over has stirred a lot of discussion about this. Or will the general public still keep buying computers for years to come despite the fact that tablets and smartphones meet most of their computing needs? I guess in a way I *don't* want the PC era to be over, because I still feel that desktops offer something that mobile devices do not or could not. What do you guys feel? What are your opinions? I know this topic has been touched on in the forum already but I'd like to see what more of you think.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Computers will like notebooks and desktops will not go away for some time, especially as you need one to synch your iDevice with or even activate it,

 

[MacHamster68]

real computers wont disappear , there are still a couple people out there who want to do a bit more then occasionally surf the web or send a email from time to time otherwise we would already be all running around with iPads

 

[room271]

In the long term we are heading towards all proprecessing done on the cloud - so PCs will effectively become good displays/interfaces which can handle accessing the internet and streaming media.

For example, there is already a games company in the US (forget the name) which only requires a screen/internet to play any games - with the games actually running on their remote servers. Lag is apparently ok-ish but in future with higher internet speeds this is definitely where things will be.

This will enable much smaller PCs - effectively the display/input being the limiting factor.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

In the long term we are heading towards all proprecessing done on the cloud - so PCs will effectively become good displays/interfaces which can handle accessing the internet and streaming media.

For example, there is already a games company in the US (forget the name) which only requires a screen/internet to play any games - with the games actually running on their remote servers. Lag is apparently ok-ish but in future with higher internet speeds this is definitely where things will be.

This will enable much smaller PCs - effectively the display/input being the limiting factor.

Does that mean that all the real work will be done on the cloud too?
I can't imagine a game creation/programming company storing its TBs of data on the cloud and accessing it via some cloud device, or scientists storing their EBs of data on the cloud and working with some kind of tablet all the time, where even access speeds are only a fraction of what they are if they would use a local LAN.
Or what about motion picture (film + video) editing or post production companies? They often have dozens of TBs for one project. An internal LAN is much faster than wireless.

Anyway, I don't think computers as we know it right now will go away, there will just be fewer of them, as the consumer crowd can live with iPads and the like.