Does anyone think the day will come where the cell will replace the average home computer?

[stanleyjohn]

These days when the cell phones computer processing power is getting to be like your home laptop or tower will the cell phone become the no 1 way to cruse the internet,play games etc.Just plug your phone into a keyboard,mouse and large screen flat screen monitor and your on your way.I realize that this can be done today but wonder if the cell tower will replace cable or phone lines as the no 1 internet provider and if so can the verizon,At&t and others keep up with the demand.

 

[diogen]

Technologically - no doubt. Logistically - not likely.

Since every component but the phone becomes commodity.
Not the most favorite (i.e. profitable) business to be in...

Diogen.

 

[TheForce]

I think for most people a combination of smart phone and ipad will be all that is necessary. That combo will replace the laptop and desktop for average personal use. For video editing and some other work, a tower case with lots of compute power, storage, and I/O is still a necessity. It's my laptop that is quickly becoming obsolete. I take my laptop on trips only for one reason, to download my e-mail into folders and auto screen out the spam. Give me a good app on the ipad for that and I will never need the laptop again.

 

[Pepper]

Agreed. I have "real computers" and servers in my house, which at this point pretty much are used for syncing and providing content to the iOS devices. Most people don't need all that, I'm a computer hobbyist and also my day job is network admin for a manufacturing company so I have a good excuse.

I also think "iPad neck" is going to be a real documented medical condition pretty soon. It comes from having the chin pushed into the chest resulting in strain to the back of the neck from constantly looking at a tiny screen located in the lap or groin area.

 

[mike123abc]

I think it is something people would buy. If there was a screen/keyboard (like you see the convertible laptops) which you simply plug your phone into for the brains and software, perhaps even a high speed near field wireless solution. I really think that most people do not really want a computer. They want facebook and email, and perhaps video games, but the concept of owning a computer is not something they really care about. Most "gamers" I know are now xbox or PS3 gamers, the thought of playing on a PC is not that common.

Once a smartphone is powerful enough to run something like Adobe's creative suite my need for a "real" computer is probably over.

With the cloud backing everything up and being able to download everything, the need for a computer is further diminished as people do not have to hassle with computer maintainence.

 

[Peter Parker]

Unfortunately there is still a need for doing somethings for whaich afulkl =sized keyboard is the only thing that is practical. I don't see phones or tablets having them.

No doubt that the growth will be there but totally eliminating desktops and laptops is niot likely. Heck we still use mainframes for some things in spite of 30 years of predictions that they will die.

 

[mike123abc]

Unfortunately there is still a need for doing somethings for whaich afulkl =sized keyboard is the only thing that is practical. I don't see phones or tablets having them.

That was why I was thinking more along the lines of docking your phone to your screen/keyboard.

 

[navychop]

Projection can replace screens, and it looks like voice recognition will further diminish the need for keyboards.

 

[Mikey11]

Just plug your phone into a keyboard,mouse and large screen flat screen monitor and your on your way.

for some things, some people and uses possibly....but not for people who need to store many large programs or documents....i just cant see a phone ever having the storage capacity of a desktop where you can add multiple hard drives....a phone will always have its limits....

 

[Peter Parker]

Projection can replace screens, and it looks like voice recognition will further diminish the need for keyboards.

I don't se me making the leap to doing spreadsheets and the like by voice. i also do a lot of document moparison/manipulation and neither the phone nor the tablet does that well.

As for docking the phone to something else that might work but at that point is it really the phone doing it?

 

[navychop]

I don't se me making the leap to doing spreadsheets and the like by voice. i also do a lot of document moparison/manipulation and neither the phone nor the tablet does that well.

As for docking the phone to something else that might work but at that point is it really the phone doing it?

I agree. That's why I couldn't use a stronger word than diminish. Maybe something will come on the horizon.

 

[goaliebob99]

I think for most people a combination of smart phone and ipad will be all that is necessary. That combo will replace the laptop and desktop for average personal use. For video editing and some other work, a tower case with lots of compute power, storage, and I/O is still a necessity. It's my laptop that is quickly becoming obsolete. I take my laptop on trips only for one reason, to download my e-mail into folders and auto screen out the spam. Give me a good app on the ipad for that and I will never need the laptop again.

I see desktops only being used for gaming and video editing. Anything else can be done on an iPad, tablet with a smart phone to hold you over when your away from those devices.

 

[navychop]

Same data creation vs data consumption thing.

 

[Anole]

Two Views:


Was having lunch a little while ago, with a retail store manager buddy.
He's got a big Android phone, Galaxy S, I think.
I'm getting a broken iPhone to fix 'n play with, and we talked about what they both can do.
He said he only fires up his home computer once or twice a month, these days.
The phone does his email, texting, browsing, shopping, and even has an app to edit Photoshop pictures!

His two little girls are 3 and 5, and each has her own dedicated computer.
They're old PCs, and with modest horsepower, but they're fine for the kids to play on.
Pretty much bullet-proof, too.
Of course, iPads or other Tablets would probably equally attractive to the kids, but they're expensive and more delicate.


On the other hand, my lawyer got an iPhone a few years ago, and has eventually moved his PC-based office to mixed Mac & PC.
He got an iPad, and started doing his own documents on it.
Maybe it was the wow-factor?
Anyway, he soon realized a bluetooth keyboard would make the pad into a real computing device.
Now, he'll often prep a document himself, instead of letting his secretary type it for him.


In conclusion, it seems that some people are already migrating to the smaller and less-powerful appliances for many of their day-to-day uses.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

I see desktops only being used for gaming and video editing. Anything else can be done on an iPad, tablet with a smart phone to hold you over when your away from those devices.

As a writer and researcher, I would disagree. A desktop/laptop is essential for writing, for research, and data management. Sure, if the only writing you are going to do is emails or brief letters, a tablet will work fine, but I am not ready to declare the computer with keyboard as dead.

 

[John Kotches]

As a writer and researcher, I would disagree. A desktop/laptop is essential for writing, for research, and data management. Sure, if the only writing you are going to do is emails or brief letters, a tablet will work fine, but I am not ready to declare the computer with keyboard as dead.

there's this technology called Bluetooth that enables one to use a keyboard with android or apple phones and tablets.

we are at the dawn of the post pc era.

for all but power users we're at the beginning of the end.

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk

 

[rockymtnhigh]

there's this technology called Bluetooth that enables one to use a keyboard with android or apple phones and tablets.

we are at the dawn of the post pc era.

for all but power users we're at the beginning of the end.

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk

Well aware of bluetooth John, but still not convinced.

 

[DodgerKing]

I see desktops only being used for gaming and video editing. Anything else can be done on an iPad, tablet with a smart phone to hold you over when your away from those devices.

The fact that tablets cannot multitask nor can they serve as the main server for you home network also limits their functionality of replacing PCs

 

[boister340]

Not me - I just can't see doing Photoshop on a phone, no way - nor comparing spreadsheets and documents.

 

[stanleyjohn]

I see a day soon where i will go the all cell route for using the internet.Why pay for two internet services when i can get a docking setup for the cell phone and use my keyboard,mouse and monitor with that.One major problem for me doing that now is that my cell provider like some others dont have unlimited data packages anymore and my 2 gig limit i now have would be quickly eaten up.My home PC will be around for awhile yet until the day comes when MS has a good fast reliable OP system for the cell where i can use it to play my pc based computer games.