The PC Market Hasn't Been This Bad Since IBM Released Its First PC

That does teach us a valuable lesson that no business how ever smart it is will last for ever. Apple, Microsoft, IBM, whoever it is they all will change or they have to go. What is wrong with having a laptop instead of a PC?

How about a smart phone? Next it is the smarty pants with visor!

Welcome in the future where a PC can be carried around or is integrated in the body . . .

The PC was dead by the time they developed mini SD cards. Since then the data transfer does not need heavy machinery like a band reader or a CD Rom.

The PC isn't dead, it's just outsourcing some of its functionality. There is still a need for them in the personal and business world.

Well when you say that it reminds me that I will be getting an engineering laptop soon. Specs - whatever. Weight 3.5 kg not inlcusive the heavy power supply.

You might want to call this a PC again as it will be stationary.

...or, maybe MS bears part of the blame for the decline...with their Vista, Win8 systems that have "changes" more for "change sake" than for user benefit...just ask all the Fortune 500 users who are complaining about all the changes that are making their employees LESS productive because they're having to relearn how to use just about EVERYTHING within the "new & improved" OS and programs!!!

That's why I still use XP...at least they eventually got it right (after too many sickly starts).

maybe you have to redefine the PC.

Remember, your smart phone has more computing power then the first PC's

maybe you have to redefine the PC.

To me the PC is the non-portable desktop computer. A laptop , smart phone and tablet are all self-explanatory by their name.

Remember, your smart phone has more computing power then the first PC's

So does my 10 year old cellphone.

Yes, the smart phone has more computing power and memory than the first PC's. What do we use it for; bellicose aviary, egocentric compendium with a social isolation twist, embarrassing images, marketing, marketing, marketing and a digital leash. I am far from a Luddite but I must ask, what has mankind wrought?

Let's not forget the unending supply of time consuming, brainless games available, the almost entirely useless texting and the flood of totally useless inane phone calls invading your daily routine while you are trying doing something much more important like driving. At least when we had landlines, the phone calls were much less invasive and tended to be of more usefulness. You are trying to talk to somebody and their cell phone keeps going off and they are rude enough to pickup and take some useless call while you cool your heels.

Today's kids are becoming socially inept unless they have a cellphone in their hand and glued to their ear, face-to-face they have difficulty carrying on a decent conversation (they really can't do that on a phone either, come to think of it!). We are wasting huge amounts of money for something that has made it much more easier to waste people's time, probably less than 1% of cell phone use is really necessary.

So yes, your cell phone has impressive computing power so that it can better waste everyone's time more efficiently and what is even sadder, is that a cell phone's audio is much worse than the old analog phone lines and everyone seems to be perfectly happy with such crappy performance just because it is portable....progress, bah, humbug!

"At least when we had landlines,..."

I still do. Hate cell phones. Have one for car trouble. All my friends know it stays off unless I have an emergency. I don't check it for calls. Don't text. Don't Tweet. I sometimes twitter... like dogs do, without the capital letter. Voice Mail serves as the last brick in the wall of controlled isolation.

Windows 8 was not designed to run on a desktop computer - they are effectively pushing small businesses into using tablets as the system demands use of touchscreen, unless there is an IT professional to over-ride the nonsense for 'normal' business operation.

I'm not sure who truly thought that Windows 8 would "save" the PC, but I suspect that retailers were hoping for a false push. Our weak economy, as well as competition from tablets and Smart phones, probably have more to do with the PC market than Windows 8. That, and Microsoft's bad reputation for buggy products - especially even-numbered iterations of Windows.

PCs have been low margin commodities since the late 1980s. If there is a cost per performance advantage to a desktop then there will be a market for it, but manufacturers would be better served to focus upon higher margin products. Overall I doubt that Microsoft cares since they can sell operating systems for any hardware platform. Not a very sound business plan, to hope that an outside company will revive your own market.