PC Sales down 7.7%; US up 1%

[amyklai]

The death of the pc.

New kids are growing up with xbones/ps4's who game on the 40-50" tv's who think of PC gaming as prehistoric. Mom's and grannies who can use there $100 tablet to do everything there desktop can do but much more conveniently.

And as people stated earlier, there is no "killer app". PC gaming evolved the industry for us.

At least from a European perspective, there was a serious increase in PC prices in the last year, compared with not much new on the software front. To give you an example: the entry SP3 used to be 799€, the new entry SP4 is 999€.

With tablets and smartphones, the software story is actually pretty similar. What was the last great smartphone / tablet app that required a new device?
However, tablet prices haven't been affected quite as much and not everybody has a tablet yet. However, I expect that the tablet and smartphone markets will hit a similar point very soon.

 

[DrMrLordX]

Depending on whom you ask, the tablet market is saturated as it is. The star that burns twice as bright burns half as long.

 

[aigomorla]

If phones were fast enough to make that viable some day in the future, wouldn't that be ultra convenient?

when they can shrink my 980GTX ti into the size of a quarter, i will be there...

however... my single gpu in SLI is about 20x larger then my current Galaxy S6 edge, so we still have a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG way to go, not to mention that the battery probably wouldnt even last bootup on such a massive gpu.

 

[Head1985]

Prices here in EU are crazy HIGH.Last time we have this strong dollar was like 15years ago.
Combine it with crazy GPUs prices todays=most expensive GPUs in history....

I remember paying 11000czk for Geforce 8800GTS 640MB back then and now similar card GTX980TI cost 19000-20000czk.
Also in 2006 when dolar was weak GTX260 cost 3000czk... 6x less than GTX980TI

 

[ShintaiDK]

Yep, companies would love a single currency to avoid these problems. Banks, no so much.

I have deep sympathy for Canadians tho. Destroyed in an instant and now have to pay 30% more for electronics.

 

[Phynaz]

But for the Canadians that get paid in USD it's party time!

 

[Arachnotronic]

Depending on whom you ask, the tablet market is saturated as it is. The star that burns twice as bright burns half as long.

The smartphone market has been burning oh-so-brightly and for so long.

 

[myocardia]

The smartphone market has been burning oh-so-brightly and for so long.

Yep, for 8 whole years. If we were discussing the desktop, it would only be another year or so, and the 80386 would be released...

 

[ShintaiDK]

The smartphone market may begin its contraction next year. Even QEs and 0% interest rates cant save the current financial state. Chinese imports for example dropped 20.4% in september alone measured in dollars. Exports also dropping at an alarming rate. Europe is in stagnation as well.

 

[frozentundra123456]

The smartphone market has been burning oh-so-brightly and for so long.

Yes, but the real cost of a new phone is usually concealed in the service plan.

 

[Fjodor2001]

Companies unite in advertising campaign to sell more PCs:

http://recode.net/2015/10/14/intel-microsoft-hp-dell-and-lenovo-unite-for-big-pc-advertising-push/

Intel, Microsoft, HP, Dell and Lenovo Unite for Big PC Advertising Push

Intel and Microsoft are teaming with three leading PC makers on a new ad campaign designed to make potential computer buyers more aware of all the things a modern PC can do.

The campaign, with the slogan “PC Does What?” is set to be announced Thursday at a Webcast featuring the companies’ top marketing executives, according to sources familiar with the companies’ plans. It will feature TV, print and online advertisements, sources said.

The fact that Intel, Microsoft, HP, Dell and Lenovo all want to see more PCs sold is hardly news. But that they have gotten together on a unified campaign is a first.
[...]
As for the campaign, it will run in the U.S. and China and is designed to let people know that the latest PCs do a lot more than the machine they likely have at home and at work. Intel noted when it launched its newest chip family that there are 500 million PCs out there that are five years old or older.

The effort comes as PC sales continue to decline as consumers put their money into other devices, including smartphones, TVs and tablets. PC sales are forecast to shrink by more than 8 percent and not stabilize until 2017, according to the latest forecast from IDC.

 

[aigomorla]

ISP's need to partner with PC makers and give free PC's or discounted PC's with a ISP subscription.

Look at the impact of what giving free / discounted phones have done to the smart phone market.

And today's cost... the average smart phone costs more then a standard Dell desktop.

 

[DrMrLordX]

ISP's need to partner with PC makers and give free PC's or discounted PC's with a ISP subscription.

It's been done before, most notably late in the dialup era. The reasons why American ISPs might not agree to such a policy are many and perhaps outside the scope of this discussion.

There also used to be payment-based systems like Blue Hippo. Most of them were total rip-offs.