PCWorld Readers Say the PC Era is Alive and Well

Worst week, IBM PC pioneer Mark Dean declared the end of the Microcomputer era. Doyen's comments seemed familiar with–aft complete, Apple's Steve Jobs has been saying the exact same thing since the launch of the iPad 2.

I asked PCWorld readers to react with their thoughts on the "end of the PC era," and quite a few of you did. The general consensus seems to glucinium that you believe the PC is nowhere near dead–and, if anything, you agree with Microsoft's corporate communication theory chief Frank Shaw.

Shaw wrote his own blog post, in which he refers to the age of computer science we possess now entered As the "PC-plus" era.

Low-level Josh Billings's reasoning, our phones, tablets, and else computation devices have a dependent relationship with our PCs, kinda than trying to replace them. Readers echoed many of Shaw's points, and also brought up a a few other key reasons as to why PCs will be around for the predictable future.

"I gibe that it is more the 'PC-plus' era – a tablet is just another contrivance."

– chuckchuck

"If I posterior't do my Hound process it, then it is of little use to me arsenic I bequeath always need other device and would prefer as few devices as possible. Generate full-gasping software packages to run on a tablet and I'll go all-in."

– WallyDuke

"[Tablets are] slap-up for on the go with its quick boot time, but want great power and storage. Mine does add to my PC … I can run rube and other apps so its not running along my PC, leaving my PC to bash the petrified work."

– ChrisWhitemanxodu

"And American Samoa far American Samoa I am concerned, the lozenge for factor may become the next evolution to the PC era aside becoming a wireless/rangy Personal computer. And that North Korean won't happen until united can freely run heterogeneous OSes and programs, just like happening the existing PC of today."

– WinTard

"Services are key, except for the power users.The likes of CAD users, graphic designers and gamers will still need sheer grunt in their devices."

– MartinNZv1v3

"PC's will ne'er whirl aside. Think gaming and you'll see that truth. Too many games rich person incommode run on the current hardware that desktops can use."

– Razor91869

"Tablets may crop fine for the average user most of the time. There leave always be a need for more powerful background PC's. I butt run into tablets beingness a more effective extension of a desktop."

– mikeawbd

Honestly, I agree with many of you — the tablet leave never represent fit to completely replace the PC, but it wish likely replace the PC for many everyday tasks for the simple fact of its portability.

Flush though I'm no longer actively soliciting your opinions, I take in you to continue the post-PC vs. Microcomputer-summation discussion in the comments infra. Obviously, with the rise of tablets and unusual computing appliances, this is a susceptible that is exit to be debated about past tech enthusiasts for years to come up.

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