The death of PCs: Oh, we said it all right

Desktops are dead, or at least inquisitive about naked flames: this is, of course, the obvious conclusion. It would be pretty much impossible to argue the same of laptops, strewn generously around cafes and uni rooms, but the general outraged impatience for such cumbersome slabs of keyboard is beginning to tell; 2012 featured the sharpest decline in sales for PCs in general since the heady days of Windows 95, when data was first recorded.

[zeal0us]

Desktop PCs will be around for quite a long time. Businesses and colleges still heavily use desktops. While touchscreen is nice it will never replace a keyboard. Seeing as some tech problems can only be solved with the usage of a keyboard.

This seem more of a Techspy article than N4G, btw.

[Ashunderfire86]

The PC will never ever die!!!! As long as there is genius services like Steam(Steam great sales too), the modding community( Man thank God for these people who turn games into something better), as long as there are ground breaking graphic cards from Nvidia and AMD, CPU Processing power, overclocking, MMOs and Free To play, pirating games, movies, and shows.... Well PC just can't die you get the picture lol!!!!

[XB1_PS4]

Well one thing's for sure, I'm never leaving the desktop pc. There's too much that I can do on it that I cannot do with my tablet, or phone. The desktop will always be the powerhouse, while the others are used for convenience.

[Dms2012]

I think your over stating the modding community a tad, but the rest I agree with.

[Menech]

When I can buy a tablet that I can use a keyboard and mouse with, has a big screen and is better at gaming than my PC, I will buy one.

But at that point I will most likely consider it a PC anyway so good game.

[I_LOVE_MYSELF]

Better is subjective.

[XB1_PS4]

@-GametimeUK- Not when better is measuring FPS, online capabilities, and graphics. Better is subjective when there is an opinion.

An i7 Processer IS better than an i3.. Not subjective.

I think that that game is better than the other.. Is subjective.

[Somebody]

It's funny that tablets still need the keyboard to be as useful as a PC. The touch screens were hailed as sure fire killers of PC keyboards and yet we see bluetooth keyboards being churned out for these supposedly keyboardless devices.

The article said something about a new tablet screen that can rise up and give an illusion that you're using an actual keyboard. That's where the PC shines- the ability to incorporate new technology to existing PCs. Morphing screens/keyboards that is supposed to be a savior for tablets users of their touch woes can easily be made into a morphing keyboard for the PC. You need to buy a new tablet to use the new morphing-screen capable tablet but you don't need to buy a new PC to use a next gen PC.

[FriedGoat]

I was always a PC gamer at heart, starting my online gaming in Doom, Playing the Quakes and Unreal Tournaments etc. That was the best era of PC gaming, The PC has really gone down hill. Sure we have a lot of ports and indies, and the PC performs better. But for me, there is nothing special on the PC anymore. I wouldn't say it was dead, just It nowhere near as good as it used to be.

[PurpHerbison]

Keyboards will eventually be in museums.

[3-4-5]

PC gaming has a HUGE niche game following.

PC gamers play old games from 96-2004, just as much as we play the new stuff.

PC gaming probably won't ever get to the level of consoles in terms of how many games can sell over a million copies, but it will never die.

PC gaming is unique.....handheld gaming is unique...they aren't going anywhere.

And in comparison to them and mobile gaming, console gaming is also unique.

Each type serves it's purpose and isn't going away ever.

People need to be more realistic and open minded.

[Snookies12]

Hmmmm... *checks my PC* Nope, seems to be playing games just fine, thanks. Pretty sure it'll keep on doing that too. :]

[coolmast3r]

Well said, sir =)

[Dogswithguns]

I love my desktop, but it hasn't turn on since forever.. maybe tomorrow. maybe next month.

[KING85]

It's quite true PC sales have been on a decline, but I have found much use in my PC since I've come to PC gaming in little over a year. I turn on my PC to game probably every other day if I'm not too busy with work. As someone mentioned, Steam sales and greenmangaming sales are great! I usually shop on eBay as well to get gaming codes as well as look for bargains on hardware in case I feel like adding something to my build. I guess we are some of the few (who knows) who like our PC. Since I've built my PC I can't see myself not upgrading ever again cause that feeling of building your own rig is great!

[SITH]

PC sales have been on decline but not PC parts. PCs have gotten a lot easier and even modular to build with little technical knowledge.

[C0MPUT3R]

Tablets will own the space within 10 years.
.
PCs will be around still of course, but will be niche.

[Letros]

Lol the desktop has been "dead" for years in terms of consumer sales. Gamers build their PCs, so long as Steam has a healthy audience (60 m), PC gaming is here to stay. With a surge in APUs more people will be gaming on laptops than in the past as well.

[coolmast3r]

Lol, these articles keep coming singe early 2000-s.

[Dasteru]

Common sense says that one thing cannot die without something else with the same or better capabilites to take its place.

There may be other devices with the same basic function like tablets, smartphones and even laptops but none have even a fraction of the power of a desktop PC, and until they do, PCs will not die.

That would have been like saying consoles would die because of handhelds or ovens dying because of microwaves.

[monkeyfox]

If you could have a device (say a tablet) that could plug into your tv, turn into or give you wireless/wired keyboard and can do games, internet, emails etc then there would be no need (for most people anyway) to have a desktop machine.

Something that has a 600W powersupply, fans, burningly hot processors cannot in my mind compare to a low power, low heat, "plug into your TV" type device that has most of the same functionality.

Once mobile/tablet software starts replicating all the stuff we currently solely enjoy on PCs then there will be no need for these hulking great power suckers.

PCs wont die, they will simply change into something else. Something that serves us more efficiently.

[nthstew]

man who wrote this article is a bitch...who cares about desktop or laptop sales.....every one now built their own custom made pcs By the end which turns out more powerful and less costly

[pandehz]

Author you should check this out, quite insightful

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

[andrewer]

PC will never die for me. Even now that I started studying programming and stuff, I will always use it. And for gaming, it's the best hardcore platform out there.

[MadLad]

As long as PC remains the optimal gaming platform that it is, yeah, desktops are going to be around.

[svfox]

It is just market share. Sure they will lose some but the pc will never go away. Like planes were not the death nell for trains. Trains weren't death to trucking industry.

Sammy
When I was trying my hardest to get raises and money they said they couldn't afford it. But keep studying and you might reach that American Dream!
Then I quit and start my own company. These people turned into Vile backstabbing demons doing every curse and thign to make me fail. F them! Greed goes both ways I found. they want all the money and you to have no money. No wonder people with money hate you. It is so hard to make money that when they do they run from society. Our system is so messed up. I couldn't believe the gall and two faced pos that people really are. And I just do websites for fun because I got sick of the day to day rat race. I would rather die.

Sammy
http://wordunscrambler.com

[k3x]

The brainiac responsible for this drivel should be taught some gaming/tech history. Unless he was going for some cheap publicity - bs like this tends to rile people up, me included.

Most games are released across all platforms with little to no differences. Consoles are old, so the system requirements for new titles don't really change that much and gamers don't need to keep upgrading their PCs that often to keep playing new games. There, one mystery of dying PCs solved.

Since we're on the verge of yet another console generation switch, I can bet we'll see tons of articles like this popping up. Only then, the reason for the death of the PC will be that no one's releasing any games for it anymore, as for some time in the beginning of each console's life there'll be a lot of exclusives.

Then we'll probably get some more journalism pros comparing those exclusives to games available for the PC and heralding the end of the PC as the platform where games look the best.

How do I know all this? It's already happened, and it's bound to keep repeating itself ad nauseam...

[NYC_Gamer]

This article is proof why people should do more research before writing up silly non sense

[Hydralysk]

MY GOD! It looks like I've been transported back in time to 2007! Quick, I need to warn everyone about the impending economic crisis!

[aliengmr]

Until I can switch out parts on a tablet easily, I will never consider a tablet/laptop as my main gaming machine.

I am interested in streaming from my desktop but never ditching it completely.

I also hate batteries. They die, its inevitable. I can build and maintain a desktop for far longer.

Gaming laptops have been around for quite a while and desktops are still here. The mobile solution has been there, and I still prefer a desktop.

Desktops will be around a while.