Are We Entering A "Post PC" World?

During the reveal of the new iPad last week, there were several occasions when Apple representatives referred to the iPad as “post-PC.” Apple apparently believes we will soon leave PCs to the dust bin of history.

There are several indications that they may be correct. Alternate devices such as smart phones, tablets, and tablet/PC hybrids, are becoming more and more popular. Studies are suggesting that the demand for desktop and laptop computers may be usurped by other devices by the end of next year.

Of course, one of the interesting things that is taking place in the computer industry is the diversification of products. It is getting more difficult to use the old categories that we have become accustomed to. When a new study or survey refers to PCs, do they simply mean Windows desktops? Are Macs Included? Or laptops? And if that’s the case, what about the new ultra books that are coming out?

And while tablets are great fun, they can be difficult to get real work done on them. Some manufacturers are coming out with hybrids, often tablets that can be plugged into a keyboard. What category do they fit in?

New categories will have to be made, and discarded, as technology changes.

Or, as Tony Bradley over on PCWorld argues, perhaps they are all PC’s. After all, PC just stands for ‘Personal Computer.’ He says the PC is simply evolving.

Right now, traditional ‘PC’s continue to outsell tablets. But that will change. Analyst Horace Dediu at Asymco even pegs the date, providing a detailed explanation of why he believes tablets will outsell PCs starting in the fall of 2013 on his blog.

Without a doubt, things are changing… or evolving.

PCs, as in desktops and laptops and ultra books, will still be with us for quite some time. They are the work horses and will be used as such. But for home use? Tablets, smart phones, hybrids, and smart TVs may soon be dominant, as computing without a big box weaves its way into our everyday lives.

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