Comments on: PC Market – Contrarian position

By: Intel Q4 – A later tide. | Radio Free Mobile

Intel Q4 – A later tide. | Radio Free Mobile — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 06:18:19 +0000

[…] However, I think the time is right for the PC market recover as the hardware of hybrid devices is reaching the point where compromises no longer have to be made (see here). […]

By: Tim Nash

Tim Nash — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 10:44:49 +0000

“Disagree completely on photography and video.”

For most home users iMovie or iPhoto or an equivalent is enough. That is if they don’t just post clips or photos direct from smartphone to the web. So only those who feel the need for more powerful software like Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro or Lightroom will have to use PCs or Macs.

By: windsorr

windsorr — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 08:07:20 +0000

The way I look at it is this. If content creation is required a higher functioning device is needed. Here Windows has 90% share vs Mac on 10%. Apples for apples (ho Ho) compared devices from Apple are more expensive. Chances are these users buy a Windows machine. Disagree completely on photography and video. Very high specs are required and Android has no chance of competing here.

Its a very good question. MOst companies will move to Winodws 7 as 8 offers them nothing. Here Windows Phone might help but MSFT has to get off its backside and do something to educate the user. The lack of CEO is proving a hinderence.

By: Tatilsever

Tatilsever — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 20:27:44 +0000

>”The devices I am starting to see have the capability to operate as both a laptop and as a tablet with no real compromise being made when switching from one to the other.”
If Windows 8 has taught the tech world anything, it is that there is no such thing as “no compromise”. 10” screen is frustratingly small for a laptop if you are using Office or Outlook with tiny buttons on the ribbon that takes up a good chunk of the screen real estate. On the other hand, if you are in tablet mode, even 10” can be too large to hold when you are reading a book over a few hours. iPad4 was too thick, too large and too heavy by just enough for many to pick the Mini despite its non-retina screen. What are the chances of getting a tablet as small and lightweight as iPad Air, Mini or Nexus 7, when the user needs to carry around the battery and the USB, HDMI, ethernet etc. ports of a real Intel laptop?

If the keyboard is folded away, thickness will always be there. If you unhook the keyboard, it will always be in some other room just when you need it. That is if a mechanical failure does not make it inoperable in the first place. It is all about compromises. And these are before all the compromises Win8 made to its interface to make it touch compatible, but not quite touch optimized.

These are laptops with a tablet mode just in case. It may be a good compromise for some customers, but it is still a compromise between having a really good laptop and a really good tablet.

By: Tim Nash

Tim Nash — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 12:08:24 +0000

A real issue for Microsoft is what content is being created at home.
Does the creator have a home PC because of what is used at the office? In which case they may move to Windows 7 in lockstep with work, if they are a power user of Office or an in house program. If full MS Office compatability isn’t necessary or work subsidised, maybe OpenOffice is good enough on the old PC. In these cases Windows 8 is unlikely to be used.

For other areas of content creation like video, photography, university papers, school reports etc. tablets are becoming more and more capable and there is no advantage in using Windows 8 over iOS or Android.

So if companies move in preference to Windows 7 and the vast majority of people use Android on smartphones or tablets or iPhones or iPads, how will enough people use Windows 8 enough to become converts?