PC as Paper Weight and the Rise of Mobile

If the local coffee shop is any indication of the state of computer usage (i.e. laptop) versus other devices like smartphones and tablets, you’ve probably noted the change already.  Standing in line for a low-fat latte, one is likely to see at least a couple of people in line staring into their smartphones.

In 2011, more smartphones were sold worldwide than PCs for the first time, though experts had been predicting smartphones would eventually outshine PCs in the retail sector.  With the new platforms available for internet searching from less expensive mobile devices, the heyday of the PC seems truly past.

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Mobile Access to the Net

One thing is certain in this rise of mobile—less computer desks are being purchased!  The household nook where the computer is stationed is being used less as people conveniently tap into their mobile devices to message, search the internet, watch videos, etc…from the couch, the car, the office, the grocery store—wherever they may be.

While the platforms to access the net via all mobile devices remain fragmented, collectively they allow better access to the net than they did a few years ago.  As mobile rises, the race to create user-friendly apps is on and the PC still waits in the home office hoping someone will come along and wake up its Power Point.

The Mobile Web

This rise in mobile access to the internet hasn’t happened overnight, of course.  The first access to the web from a mobile device occurred in Finland back in 1996; the Nokia 9000 Communicator was an early prototype, if you will, for later smart phones.  When it launched it ran users around a thousand dollars—more than a decent laptop today.

As the evolution of the smartphone continues to unfold, enhanced access to the internet is a major component of all new developments.  Newly created apps also promote better access to various places on the internet like Facebook or Twitter.  Not all apps are created equally, however, and the scramble to launch user-friendly apps that will become the preferred access platform is intense.

Will the PC Go the Way of the Horse and Buggy?

The easy answer is—not right now.  In 2011, 95.4 million computers were sold in the U.S. alone.  Companies still purchase computers and personal computer usage is still utterly viable.  Yet, the statistics do indicate marked change and experts will be watching for any signs of decreased sales that coincide with increased purchases of mobile devices.

The tech industry is alert; reports of a ten million dollar drop in PC sales is likely to be the final report for 2012 according to various watch groups like GigaOM.  Portable devices that provide excellent access to the internet are a convenience factor that the PC simply cannot trump.

At best, perhaps, the PC can live in harmony with mobile devices in spite of their onslaught into PC territory.  After all, the pencil is not obsolete for all the texting that happens around the world everyday and Bic is still the pen master.

The spacious nature of the desktop is still a preferable medium for people performing work, but even this is likely to change as cloud computing from mobile devices allows people to work on the go.

Who knows if or at what point that PC will become that inglorious paper weight no one is entirely sure how to recycle; in fact, this writer has some old PCs sitting in the basement hoping some green artist will offer to transform them into a coat rack or a TV tray.  Time will tell and probably more quickly than not.

   Laura

About the Guest Author:

Laura took the time to compare mobile phone deals before purchasing her HTC Sensation.  She loves how easy it is to get online and hardly ever uses her PC anymore.