Windows 8

[Flopper]

Computers today are becoming more and more like very sophisticated toasters. They are becoming more task orientated which means you perform the tasks the system is designed to do and you use whatever interface the manufacture wants you to use. If you're a techie, you can go under the hood, install third party devices, software and modifications. For the rest of us, we just have to learn to do things there're way using the tools they provide.

I expect withing 10 years or so, all computers will be so tightly controlled by the manufacturer, that the only thing you will be able to do will them is purchase apps, run them, and delete them.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Computers today are becoming more and more like very sophisticated toasters. They are becoming more task orientated which means you perform the tasks the system is designed to do and you use whatever interface the manufacture wants you to use. If you're a techie, you can go under the hood, install third party devices, software and modifications. For the rest of us, we just have to learn to do things there're way using the tools they provide.

I expect withing 10 years or so, all computers will be so tightly controlled by the manufacturer, that the only thing you will be able to do will them is purchase apps, run them, and delete them.

To a point I agree. The desktop is dying.
Myself, I doubt I will buy another desktop for the rest of my life. Laptops are so much better.
To your remark, I unfortunately see the "corporative takeover" of devices to continue. Kindle, Nook etc...where corporations co-op the cost between the consumer in the "agreement" that they will buy apps/music/video etc. exclusively from them.
This is bad.

 

[MikeK]

To a point I agree. The desktop is dying.
Myself, I doubt I will buy another desktop for the rest of my life. Laptops are so much better.[...]

I have both. The laptop is my stand-by and it did come in very handy during the period when my desktop died and I was replacing it. But I don't care for laptops for a number of reasons and I believe there are many desktop users who share my preference.

I most appreciate the more substantial keyboard and the big monitor component of the desktop system. Also, the Acer desktop I recently bought is about half the size of what was the standard mini-tower. In time I believe these desktop main components will be even smaller while continuing to enable the use of big keyboards and monitors.

 

[MikeK]

It seems nine out of ten reactions to Windows 8 range from moderate dislike to utter disgust. I recently upgraded from XP to 7, which seems okay now that I've adjusted to it, but the thing that instantly turned me off to 8 is the touch-screen, which might be okay for a laptop but an annoying and redundant inconvenience on a desktop.

I'm not so audacious as to suggest Microsoft has made a dumb move by introducing such a predictable disappointment, so I'm wondering what related surprise 8 is intended to prepare the market for. Whatever it is I hope it's not completely over the heads of geriatric computer users, most of whom, including me, were perfectly content with 98/SE.

Microsoft doesn't care whether you're content with their operating system or not. They have over 80% of the operating system market. Apple's IOS is in second place with only 7% of the market.

MS makes money on their operating system by first introducing a new version. Then they drop support on older versions which signals application developers and computer manufactures to develop their products for the new version. When you buy a new computer, it comes with the new operating system installed. When you try install your older applications, you have to buy upgrades.

In short, what the customer wants in an operating system is just not that important to MS.

It will be if pushing too hard causes millions of users to switch to Linux and other competitive operating systems which will be developed in response to demand.

 

[MikeK]

[...]Like I said - who wants to hold their arm up in the air and move it around? You know how tired your arm will get?? Imagine trying to work with a spread sheet! It would be a nightmare.

[...]

Exactly! Who wants that?

 

[iamwhatiseem]

To a point I agree. The desktop is dying.
Myself, I doubt I will buy another desktop for the rest of my life. Laptops are so much better.[...]

I have both. The laptop is my stand-by and it did come in very handy during the period when my desktop died and I was replacing it. But I don't care for laptops for a number of reasons and I believe there are many desktop users who share my preference.

I most appreciate the more substantial keyboard and the big monitor component of the desktop system. Also, the Acer desktop I recently bought is about half the size of what was the standard mini-tower. In time I believe these desktop main components will be even smaller while continuing to enable the use of big keyboards and monitors.

Not a problem, you can buy an inexpensive laptop docking station and since even the most basic laptop now has HDMI output - you can port to whatever monitor/big screen you like.

 

[MikeK]

Not a problem, you can buy an inexpensive laptop docking station and since even the most basic laptop now has HDMI output - you can port to whatever monitor/big screen you like.

That is worth looking into.

Thanks.

 

[MikeK]

Not a problem, you can buy an inexpensive laptop docking station and since even the most basic laptop now has HDMI output - you can port to whatever monitor/big screen you like.

That is worth looking into.

Thanks.

I just did a Google and here's what I got: "There are no available docking stations for the Aspire 5741G."

My luck.

 

[Bleipriester]

Computers today are becoming more and more like very sophisticated toasters. They are becoming more task orientated which means you perform the tasks the system is designed to do and you use whatever interface the manufacture wants you to use. If you're a techie, you can go under the hood, install third party devices, software and modifications. For the rest of us, we just have to learn to do things there're way using the tools they provide.

I expect withing 10 years or so, all computers will be so tightly controlled by the manufacturer, that the only thing you will be able to do will them is purchase apps, run them, and delete them.

In that case, it would make sense to store some old PC in the cellar to boast of their capabilities when all the others use their atrophied consoles.

 

[Ringel05]

Not a problem, you can buy an inexpensive laptop docking station and since even the most basic laptop now has HDMI output - you can port to whatever monitor/big screen you like.

That is worth looking into.

Thanks.

I just did a Google and here's what I got: "There are no available docking stations for the Aspire 5741G."

My luck.

Universal docking stations;

What's the Best Notebook Docking Station?

 

[MikeK]

That is worth looking into.

Thanks.

I just did a Google and here's what I got: "There are no available docking stations for the Aspire 5741G."

My luck.

Universal docking stations;

What's the Best Notebook Docking Station?

As usual, Ringel comes through with an answer.

Thanks!

 

[Flopper]

Computers today are becoming more and more like very sophisticated toasters. They are becoming more task orientated which means you perform the tasks the system is designed to do and you use whatever interface the manufacture wants you to use. If you're a techie, you can go under the hood, install third party devices, software and modifications. For the rest of us, we just have to learn to do things there're way using the tools they provide.

I expect withing 10 years or so, all computers will be so tightly controlled by the manufacturer, that the only thing you will be able to do will them is purchase apps, run them, and delete them.

To a point I agree. The desktop is dying.
Myself, I doubt I will buy another desktop for the rest of my life. Laptops are so much better.
To your remark, I unfortunately see the "corporative takeover" of devices to continue. Kindle, Nook etc...where corporations co-op the cost between the consumer in the "agreement" that they will buy apps/music/video etc. exclusively from them.
This is bad.

Yep

 

[Flopper]

To a point I agree. The desktop is dying.
Myself, I doubt I will buy another desktop for the rest of my life. Laptops are so much better.[...]

I have both. The laptop is my stand-by and it did come in very handy during the period when my desktop died and I was replacing it. But I don't care for laptops for a number of reasons and I believe there are many desktop users who share my preference.

I most appreciate the more substantial keyboard and the big monitor component of the desktop system. Also, the Acer desktop I recently bought is about half the size of what was the standard mini-tower. In time I believe these desktop main components will be even smaller while continuing to enable the use of big keyboards and monitors.

Keyboards and monitors are a big plus for desktops. In general desktops give you more computing power for the bucks and there're easier to upgrade and cheaper to repair. However, if you really need the mobility, then laptops are the way to go. Since I don't need to move my computer, I'll stick with a desktop.

 

[Flopper]

Computers today are becoming more and more like very sophisticated toasters. They are becoming more task orientated which means you perform the tasks the system is designed to do and you use whatever interface the manufacture wants you to use. If you're a techie, you can go under the hood, install third party devices, software and modifications. For the rest of us, we just have to learn to do things there're way using the tools they provide.

I expect withing 10 years or so, all computers will be so tightly controlled by the manufacturer, that the only thing you will be able to do will them is purchase apps, run them, and delete them.

In that case, it would make sense to store some old PC in the cellar to boast of their capabilities when all the others use their atrophied consoles.

I actually have a vintage IBM pc. It runs only DOS applications. Almost none of the software that is sold today will run on it. It has 64K of memory, a 4 meg harddrive, a monochrome monitor, and no mouse support. The operating system uses 8k of memory.

By contrast, Windows 8, requires 25,000 times more memory than my old IBM PC, 10,000 more processing power, and 1.3 million times more disk space.

 

[Politico]

Anyone who does anything requiring serious power uses desktops.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Anyone who does anything requiring serious power uses desktops.

Gaming you mean...and there are gaming laptops that are no less memory rich and with the same processor as desktops.
I still have a desktop, but admittedly I really only use it to download movies and watch them on the big screen...which I could also do with a laptop.
As flopper pointed out, the advantage of a desktop is price and the ability to switch out hardware. For that reason if you are a PC gamer - there is no competition.

 

[Politico]

No not gaming. Serious productivity. You aren't going to see someone designing a national ad campaign or rendering the next Toy Story sequel on a laptop.

 

[Uncensored2008]

I didn't mean touchscreens - I mean touchpads Remember this mini-craze?

Meh, anyone who ever used a notebook already hated touchpads. Only thing worse than a touchpad is those little eraser head joysticks.

 

[Flopper]

I didn't mean touchscreens - I mean touchpads Remember this mini-craze?

Meh, anyone who ever used a notebook already hated touchpads. Only thing worse than a touchpad is those little eraser head joysticks.

Since a touch screen doesn't require a pointing device, it's great in a device such as a smart phone, but as the size of the device increases, the advantage of a touch screen decreases. For most people in a desktop setting, there is little advantage. However, a touch screen is great with preschoolers because touching what you want is more natural for a child that pointing with a mouse.

The concept of making the computer interface easier to use and more natural is good. However, the gains are often not worth the effort and cost.

 

[Foxfyre]

I bought a new PC during the Black Friday sales--or rather Hubby got it for me during the Black Friday sales last November and gave it to me for Christmas. Yeah he did the crack of dawn thing on Friday morning to snag on of a dozen or so HP computers being offered at under $300 - super fast processor, a gig of RAM, a terabyte of hard drive space - all in a fairly small sleek package. Sweet little machine and I love using my 24" monitor with it while not having to go through all the rigoramoo (sp) of hooking up my laptop to it.

But I love have almost unlimited space, plenty of power, and ease and affordability of repairs. I still use my laptop when watching TV, when traveling, or otherwise when I am away from the PC, but I much prefer working with the PC over the laptop.

The only downside is the PC has Windows 8. We are sort of getting along but I still hate Windows 8.