Is this the End of the Desktop and Laptop?

With the current influx of tablet PCs coming into the world of computers, some have asked is this the end of the desktop and the laptop? That is a valid question – one that is also quite interesting indeed. Other than the increasing number of tablet brands, other factors have come into play that may have added credence to this very question.

Well, this is not actually a new scenario. In fact, people have also asked the same questions when prices laptops and other ultra-mobile computers went down back in 2009. Some people (specifically from Reuters) thought it was the end of the desktop computing era. Three years later, desktops are still very much in use – sales may have gone down but they are still in use.

What Tablets Have to Offer

Mobility is the key feature that tablets have to offer. They are lightweight, easy to carry around, absolutely portable, and frankly very easy to use. Tablets are also very easy to connect to a Wi-Fi Internet connection, which is now a common service that anyone can find almost anywhere. Tablets also present pretty much the functionality of computers. Nevertheless, every new piece of technology still has its limits.

Hardware Specs Limitations and Advantages

It sometimes just boils down to a question of whether a tablet can do everything that a desktop computer or a laptop can do. A lot of people will argue that tablets can function very much like any desktop on earth. In fact, the newer ones have processors, RAM modules, and other parts that are already up to today’s standard and are at par with the best models sold in the consumer electronics market.

However, there is still a huge gap that tablets can’t fill given the current technology today. For instance, there is no way for people to upgrade the hardware specs of tablets. Users can upgrade the hard drive and the RAM modules of laptops, while you can upgrade virtually any part of a desktop computer.

Desktops have a distinct advantage when it comes to repair and maintenance. In case a part breaks down, users can take it off and buy a replacement with no hassles attached. Users can replace their desktop computer’s processor, sound card, video graphics adapter, add an extra network interface card, add several USB ports via the PCI expansion slots, replace RAM modules, and even get a cooler looking tower casing. When it comes to the ability to customize your hardware, nothing beats a desktop computer.

The Issue with Gaming

Games constitute a really huge chunk of the computer using population of the world. Whether you’re talking about a console game or a full-fledged PC game, desktops are still on top of the heap. Of course, today’s gaming market stats show that console gaming is still the king of sales but next to that are the games designed for the PC.

Every true blue gamer may have an Xbox, PS3, Nintendo Wii, or any other popular console out there – but you can be sure there is a section of their hearts reserved for the unbeatable PC game experience. Some hardcore gamers own either a high end gaming laptop or desktop or even both. Tablet games have made a presence but they’re not on the same level as console games and PC games.

Productivity Tools

Here is another section of the debate where things get interesting for both sides. Tablets are equipped with word processors, spread sheets, and other office productivity software applications. Of course, compared to the suite of productivity applications already in place for laptops and desktops, tablets have a lot of catching up to do.

But the discussion doesn’t end with the availability of these software applications. The core of the issue is that when it comes to office or work productivity, it is still a whole lot easier to work with desktops and laptops compared to tablets. Anyone can type on a tablet but you get a lot more work done if you use the good old laptop or desktop.

Sure you can plug a keyboard and a lot of other peripherals to your tablet, but that is a self-defeating manoeuvre. Try to imagine how silly your tablet would look like with a bunch of wires and gadgets plugged all over it. Get the picture?

Screen Size

Animators, traders, programmers, and a lot of other professionals in the world just can’t peer over a small screen eight hours a day. Enforce that in the work place and you’ll either be sued for eye care benefits or they will just go find a better place to work in. This is another department where a tablet just won’t fit in. Make the tablet’s screen size a whole lot bigger then it loses its portability.

Now here’s a final word for those who ask is this the end of the desktop and the laptop. Tablets are great for home use, presentations, and what not. But for the hard core productivity tools and resolving computer issues, laptops and desktops will be here to stay.

This is a guest post by Charlie who writes for www.bestinlife.net/. For guest blogging in Techlineinfo, please go through the guidelines

<Image Credit >