Japanese Consumers Turning Away from PCs
Mon Nov 5, 2007 11:52AM EST
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For years, maybe decades, pundits have pontificated on the death of the PC... yet, in America, PC sales continue to increase year after year.
Could the party finally be coming to an end for traditional personal computers? Finally, signs seem to be hinting that the PC just ain't what it used to be. In Japan, where almost all computing trends get their start, alternative gadgets ranging from iPods to televisions to gaming consoles are becoming the gizmos of choice for when it comes time to plunk down the yen. Consumers, says the Associated Press, are plenty happy with old PC equipment.
The writing is on the wall: In Japan, PC sales haven't just slowed, they're are already on the decline and have been for over a year. Desktop sales fell 4.8 percent in the second quarter of 2007, and laptops similarly fell 3.1 percent. Companies aren't too thrilled: Hitachi said recently it would abandon the consumer PC market altogether.
The trend will exacerbate as the youth come of age. Unlike the generation before it, these kids are growing up with smart phones, iPods, and gaming consoles as their first, and primary, exposure to technology. The PC is seen as old school, dated, and utilitarian and simply not cool. We'll always need computers, of course, but rest assured, the trend will eventually migrate to our shores... anyone want to pick a year when PC sales start to decline here?
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2 Posted by rogueist on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:49PM EDT Report Abuse
The point is that people are shifting toward MOBILE PCs, not that they are ditching PCs entirely. It's the form factor that is changing instead. This is also a wakeup call for the computer industry to not just blindly stumble ahead into the future, but to rather look at and examine the entire marketplace as a whole and see what and where the youngest generation is putting their dollars - and then cater to that generation more than they are doing now. A handheld PC with both a private and a public screen (public screen being floating holographic of large size), tied to a remote server of some kind that stores and serves all media kinds that the person that owns the device sends to it - and privacy is the number one key issue here - nobody else on the planet can gain access to it but the person that owns that spot - that is the wave of the future.
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3 Posted by agustin2489 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:47PM EDT Report Abuse
I agree with rogueist. I find having a laptop more convenient than a desktop and rest assured, I probably will get myself a mobile PC with much the same functionality. Portability is becoming more essential. Privacy is a difficult thing to keep regardless.
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4 Posted by cnull on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:27PM EDT Report Abuse
If you look at the figures, laptop sales are declining too.
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5 Posted by rambkowalczyk on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:27PM EDT Report Abuse
I can't see PCs coming to an end. I can see desktop sales falling because of the rise of laptops, though. Which makes sense because it's easier to upgrade a desktop and therefore it doesn't have to be replaced that often, making it appear they're on the fall. Mobile PCs like laptops are too small to easily upgrade and therefore have to be replaced more often to keep up to date. Smart phones really can't be upgraded at all, can they? So they always have to be replaced to stay current.
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6 Posted by jpduke24@verizon.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:42PM EDT Report Abuse
who cares?
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7 Posted by wgoff@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:44PM EDT Report Abuse
That's mainly because, due to my experience, they are becoming much more problematic, complicated, less user friendly and with notable conflicts built in to establish a burgeoning expensive help fee program industry most notably with the originator of operating systems, and their anciliary industries that write conflicting programs that challenge the buyers of these new fangle high tech products. It was always recognized that video tape players were a real challenge to program for many users, and now that challenge is nothing compared to the many problems we come into contact with the updating of computer operating systems proving to be much more complicated with each new revision. For instance, take a look at Symantec's error LU1845 for an unsolvable problem. They keep building these products for the Einstein's of this world. When are they going to recognize that the average everyday consumer is desperately looking for a very simplistic machine that they can use to accomodate their requirements of banking, investing, taxes, will writing, and some of the uses already provided with the wonderful search engines for education, shopping, exploring the universe, etc, etc. I'm thinking of using my many computers, desktops and laptops as targets for hunting practice.
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8 Posted by bridgettegrant@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:13PM EDT Report Abuse
i can barely see my cellphone screen.i am so keeping my large pc screen,my teenager is different but she doesn't pay any bills
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9 Posted by efszidane on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:52PM EDT Report Abuse
In other words PCs now is improving its capabilities, because of this era is a high-tech world now; you see PCs grow more and more. Other company decided to build more like PC but in different forms. I say that people want more convinient way in using computers.
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10 Posted by quistilixians on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:24PM EDT Report Abuse
I both agree with Rogueist and rambkowalczyk. They both have a point. They, or either the article writer, seems to ignore or overlook what really is significant in the "decline" of consumer buying percentage over the years. Also, however, I have noticed that Microsoft (on Vista) too has a selfish marketing strategy for the consumers to push such, once again, time constrained "innovation" which after a few years — 1 and a half years to be exact—their product will be replaced with "better ones" that will marginally have another 1 1/2 years trend and usability lifespan.
1 Posted by muscogeekid on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:30PM EDT Report Abuse
I would say it's actually begun already. People buy new machines now for reasons of style more than functionality. And with the dissatisfaction of Vista, more users are resisting the corporate push to upgrade just for the sake of upgrading. You see more Apple users coming online and even Linux is becoming more popular. All indicators that the current wave of PC innovations is over, but that isn't to say it won't push forward again. As technology advances and the PC begins to change with changing tastes, the wave could begin anew as soon as next year. Lighter PC's, flexible screens, new power sources, wireless technology, electronic commerce, all of this will influence where the PC goes and what it becomes. One thing is for certain, we will NOT become less connected in the future.