March 20, 2012, 11:40 AM —
Lots of talk, especially with the launch of the new iPad, that we've moved beyond PCs.
Tablets and smartphones do more and more computing for more and more people. Throw in specialized tablets like Kindle, and entertainment devices like PlayStation and Xbox, and you can be overwhelmed by computing that doesn't happen on a computer. But have we moved beyond PCs for real, or are we just blinded by new, flashy pseudo-PCs?
If you define a PC as a box you can modify (adding a new video card or upgrading memory) running Windows, Post PC folks point out that laptops (no modifications) are outselling desktops. And as intelligent systems become embedded in common objects (the Nest self-learning thermostat, for instance), fewer consumers will use the traditional general purpose desktop PC to communicate, read e-mail, and go on the Web. Are those chores now better done on smartphones and tablets? Give your opinion below.
iPad takes over
I would simply propose that the post-pc era began with the iPad 1 and that the iPad 3's higher resolution simply improved upon it.
John Lindquist on codinghorror.com
That a 10" iPad has a higher resolution than my 24" PC monitor is totally Post PC.
seanmcdirmid on news.ycombinator.com
The iPad 4, ya the next one, might be my first Apple computer purchase ever. :O
Castaa on codinghorror.com
Oh those kids
i heard today that XBox outsells all other kit and is now ranked as the most common device in the home; presumably this is part of the "existential crisis" you mention...
mheseltine on codinghorror.com
In our family, we PLAY on the tablets and we WORK on the PC's.
joshuabrickman on readwriteweb.com
Don't forget …
Post-PC does not mean the end of PCs.
Sumocat on readwriteweb.com
Everyone has a computer, the market is saturated. No one has a tablet. It makes sense that tablet sales would rocket.
VonLipwig on news.ycombinator.com
What we lose in a post PC world is the monopoly of one software supplier.
Martin King on readwriteweb.com
Computers are becoming more reliable and less user serviceable in the same way that cars did.
mdonahoe on news.ycombinator.com
New things build upon old things, but it takes a long time for the old things to be completely replaced. People still ride horses.
