Are the days of the desktop numbered?

[exploder]

Landfills no longer take computers and they have to be recycled. Manufacturers are saying profit margins are slim for desktop computers. Mobil devices are selling and most everyone has a cell phone.

Combine these things with the current trend of making a computer the size of a credit card. Everything changes and it sure is looking like computers are changing weather we like it or not. All of this makes me wonder if Canonical is heading in the right direction with the Ubuntu phone.

Think about it, phone, computer and TV in a device you can fit in your pocket. Cell phones are cheaper than most computers and with the cradle you can have your keyboard, mouse and big monitor.

To be perfectly honest, a post on another forum got me to thinking about this and it really woke me up to the way things are heading and changing. The Ubuntu phone came to my mind because I saw it demonstrated and I liked it. What do you think about where things are heading? Do you think the Ubuntu phone with it's docking cradle might be the way of the future?

[mamamia88]

You mean desktop like a tower? Then yes you might be right. But how about all the students who need word processing/presentations/etc. or about professional photographers or music production? I think that there will always be a need for something similar to a desktop pc.

[whatthefunk]

Im guessing you mean Ubuntu for Android because there is no such thing as Ubuntu Phone.

As far as this taking over the desktop any time soon, I doubt it. Phones dont have the computing power or memory space that many users require. Comparing an iPhone5, which just came out a month ago, or a Samsung Galaxy 3, which also came out recently, to my year old mid-range computer, there is no comparison. It is laughable. In every category, my computer blows the smart phones out of the water. Running a CPU intensive, GPU intensive program off an OS inside another OS on a smartphone? Ha. Of course they will get better over time, but so will desktop computers. I dont see this as a threat to the traditional desktop at all.

[nothingspecial]

Thread moved to Mobile Technology Discussions.

[exploder]

Sorry, I forgot this section of the forum was even here.

Im guessing you mean Ubuntu for Android because there is no such thing as Ubuntu Phone.

Yes, this is what I meant but you knew what I was referring to anyway.

I just got to realizing how computers were getting smaller and smaller. Current smart phones are not near as powerful as desktops but they are quickly getting there. The ideas Canonical demonstrated on a smart phone seem very advanced when you look at other ideas that are being developed though. I was impressed by what such a small device could do and what was presented could do a lot for what it is. The whole idea makes sense from manufacturing down to the end user.

[nothingspecial]

Sorry, I forgot this section of the forum was even here.

It's new

[graabein]

There's a lot of work you can't get comfortably and efficiently done on small touch devices. So for consumers, maybe so, but for work there's still a market.

[Sableyes]

For me... Nearly



With Kingsoft Office and Opera I can do 99% of things on my mobile devices. I have more games on my Androids than I do for Linux. The only thing I struggle with is processing photos and playing Second Life. Photos, there are a lot of filter / photo apps, but not sure my android can process 10 mb pictures of my HS30EXR. Second Life which has 2 clients on Android (one even has 3D), but they arnt quite up too spec yet.

A lot of modern androids now have HDMI as well, so they have a chance of replace desktops for me

[Sableyes]

There's a lot of work you can't get comfortably and efficiently done on small touch devices. So for consumers, maybe so, but for work there's still a market.

Size wise, what work can you not get done on a tablet that has USB Host and HDMI out?

Plug in a mouse and keyboard, and hook it up too your monitor? I would say if anything, a £60 tablet like mine is better for small business than tower PCs now.

[exploder]

Sableyes, what you have set up looks interesting. I might just have to dig out my tablet from the drawer and try what you have done. Nice post!