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Tablet sales are down; PC sales are up. What the heck?

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Super tablets won't be cheaper than PCs (Score: 3, Insightful)

by mth@pipedot.org on 2014-09-01 19:01 (#2RZ0)

PCs are expensive, prone to failure, easy to break and magnets for viruses and malware.
The claim that super tablets would improve on those aspects doesn't sound very realistic to me. If tablet hardware is equally powerful as PC hardware, but has to be lightweight and run on a battery, it will be more expensive. A stationary PC is also less likely to break than a portable tablet of equal build quality.

How prone a machine is to viruses and malware depends on a lot of factors, such as OS, obscurity of the platform, level of clue from both the admins and the users etc. None of those factors are related to the hardware: if a tablet OS is easier to secure and still flexible enough for the users to get their job done, why not install a tablet OS on PC hardware?

The only advantage of a super tablet over a laptop is the form factor: it is easier to carry around. That can be important in some companies. But it will cost extra, not less.

Re: Super tablets won't be cheaper than PCs (Score: 3, Interesting)

by zafiro17@pipedot.org on 2014-09-01 19:57 (#2RZ3)

All very good points. There's also the repairability factor: the company I work for regularly services its PCs (boring old Dell and HP boxes), replaces burned network cards and so on. If your ipad goes, you buy a new ipad. There's value in both approaches, but it's not mix-and-match. I think this guy wrote an article he hopes will get the market to respond with some new product that doesn't exist so he can go out and pat himself on the back for being a visionary. I don't see those super-tablets arriving any time soon now, and I'm not convinced this guy even understands the market at the moment.

Moderation

Time Reason Points Voter
2014-09-02 11:16 Interesting +1 nightsky30@pipedot.org
2014-09-03 05:50 Insightful +1 reziac@pipedot.org

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