Do you think laptop will be slowly phased out in the age of mobile devices?

Years ago, laptop was a luxury item. They were expensive. For the same money, you could buy much more powerful desktop PC, Or for the same power, you could save tons of money on a desktop. Yet, because of its convenience, laptop sales eventually overtook desktop PCs. However, from what I have heard, now even laptop sales are getting lower (correct me if I am wrong). It is now the age of mobile devices. Tablets and smart phones to be exactly. As smart phones took a turn to become larger screen, it is even eating into the market of tablets.

I know for a fact, computers will always be there, but in which form? These days they come in all forms. Smart phones and tablets are basically computers too. Majority of the people do not need to use a traditional computer (desktop and laptop PCs) to do complex tasks. All they do is web browsing, shopping, checking email, chatting, watching videos, and listen to music. These simple tasks can be easily done on less powerful devices such as tablets and smart phones.

Sure there will always be some people who require more powerful computers for work, but these are the minority.

Do you think eventually most of the laptops will yield to smaller mobile devices such as smartphones?

 

In the emergence of the cellphone, there is a prediction that it will cause the demise of the landline phone. But after many years of playing second fiddle to the cellphone, the landline is still existing because it has a purpose of its own. With the laptop, I see that it is in the same vein. Even tablets and smart phones cannot completely replace the laptops for, as in the case of the landline, the laptop has a purpose of its own. I don't see our office issuing us a mobile gadget in lieu of the laptop. So for personal use, maybe the mobile has an advantage but for office use, it will always be the laptop.

 

I prefer the laptop because the screen is bigger, but mobile devices are way more practical when you are outside. I don't like the fact how said devices are changing the way we socialize though... people nowadays seem to be spending more time online than offline. I think laptops will still be around for a while, after all that bigger screen (bigger when compared to a tablet or a mobile) make them more practical for working online... plus using a keyboard is awesome.

 

Absolutely not. A cell phone has a touch screen. Try typing 80 to 120wpm on that. Not happening. Try installing the latest version of Microsoft Office or Corel WordPerfect onto your android tablet with a mini keyboard attached. Still not happening. Try using that Android device to do .NET, C, Visual Basic, Python, or Assembly language programming for an 8086 based micro or 8051 controller. Also not happening. Connect a device to a usb port to program an Arudino, PIC controller, or other device? Yeah, that's not going to fly with an OTG cable and usb 1.1 (2.0 only if you're lucky). How about video and graphics development? Gaming? Yeah, your iphone or android is not going to be up to par with your PC let alone your Playstation 4, Xbox One, or Nintendo NX. How about Web development? Speech Transcription? Graphic design? Oh, and try video conferencing on it too when the camera is on the opposite side of the phone to where you can't even see the screen! That's not including about a dozen other uses you'd have for a laptop that a cell phone, tablet, or other device is not going to be able to do.

These are just some of the things that the public doesn't ever seem to think about or realize is a daily use activity and would not even be possible let alone barely acceptable on the scaled down, less than computer devices they are marketing to the public to dumb them down more each day.

If you consider each of the above, you're going to find that there is a LOT that none of the crappy underpowered mobile devices will ever do to replace a traditional laptop or desktop machine. Even when desktops were greatly powered in contrast to laptops, the architecture and code executed was always the same. It's not even the same architecture anymore and always has to run over a quasi-java vm on android, and fourth-layer compatability mode for OSX just to run iOS apps for Apple. Apple already makes you jump through hoops using Xcode just to develop for it, but when you look at the hardware and the way they expect it to run, it gets even worse. That being said, it's just going to be something for the public who wants a calculator, a telephone, or "apps". It's not for use to replace business, development, or anything serious nor can it be because of how it is designed to be.

It's like expecting an Apple Watch to run Call of Duty or FallOut tomorrow. It can be a watch, maybe even play a few mp3s through the DAC for you, but it's not going to do Harry Potter magic tricks like jerks in the marketing rooms tell the public it will, and the public now actually believes it can or should for that matter.

It's not going to replace laptops, even if people stop using desktops outside of servers by majority.

 

@ Corzhens,

In many countries, the number of cellphones had far exceeded the number of landlines. Many people had cancelled their home landline after everyone in the family got a cellphone. Yes, landline still exist, but it is on a continuous decline.

I do not deny that certain works still require full computers. But the amount of work involves sitting in front of the computer all day is limited. Not everyone's job is to work on a computer, in fact they are the minority even though there are a lot of them.

@ IBMPC8088,
You can buy full keyboard (bluetooth) for even smartphones and tablets. Yes, you can type that fast on it when it is connected. But if your job or else truly require you to type all day very often, then you are better off with a bigger screen of a computer. Not everyone's job is to type all day or work all day in front of a computer.

Gamers are still the minority even though they will always be there.

Maybe I should not say "phased out". Full computers will always be there, but they will be the minority since majority of the people do not need them for work. For personal use, the power of a full computer is not a must as the smaller mobile devices are getting more capable.

 

I surely hope not that it won't come down to smartphones. I can't see much on a small screen and working on it is a pain. I do have small hands and fingers, and texting alone is frustrating enough for me. I also like the feel of typing on the keyboard. It won't be the same for me.

 

If you also include a Desktop in the lit then no. But if you are speaking about Laptops then my answer is a bit difficult to understand. Laptops have never become as important, powerful or as efficient as Desktops or as Portable as Mobile Phones. If x86 Platform comes to Mobile Devices then it is guaranteed to completely Stop the sales of Laptops. But that is still a long way ahead for it to happen in the Affordable Consumer Section. But until then Laptops are here to Stay. Good LUCK

 

Well, at least the keyboard issue is already solved. Like I said, even a smartphone and a tablet can use a bluetooth keyboard easily. Yes, a full size keyboard if you choose one. So typing is not an issue. You may say it is harder to see on a screen. Smartphone is getting bigger, and tablets aren't that small to begin with.

Yes, laptop is caught in between. Just like tablet in some way. There are bigger more powerful devices for serious work, and smaller more portable devices for carrying around.

On the other hand,
A lot of people do not understand what I was saying. There will always be jobs that require full size computers, it is used for productivity, or as capital goods. But at some point back in time, every family had at least one computer. Even the grandmas and grandpas. They used it for email, etc. That is called consumer goods, and it is in fact what majority of the people use. So when the majority of buyers can use something else, the sales of a product will decline significantly.

 

My wife and I actually talked about this last night. We got to talking about how we rarely use the laptop anymore, and we can't really remember the last time that we used the laptop. I use a desk top all day at work and have the free time to post on my favorite forums, and I will soon be glued to a desk top all day at home since I'll be working from home in the next few weeks. Cell phones can do some pretty amazing things now, and they have definitely taken over. I was able to download and edit my resume from my cell phone, which was originally on my laptop. Who knew that we would be so advanced that we could pull files from a totally different location?

 

I did watch a documentary a few years ago about Microsoft and some of the future technology they were planning on developing and Microsoft did say back then that they were hoping that traditional desktop and laptop computers would eventually be phased out completely and replaced with tablet PC's, some of them huge, some of them tables with something like up to 110-inch screens. They were actually showing the prototypes of this technology on the documentary, I wish I could remember what it was called. However, I personally do not think that laptops will ever be phased out completely. For example, I do a lot of work online including writing so tablets are not really that convenient for me. Also, many people are buying keyboards to go with their tablets which kind of defeats the principle of having a tablet which was originally largely based on the fact that texting had become so popular. I think it's more likely that convertible laptop/tablet PC's will become the main household product in the near future.

 

From the sounds of things, as I read through the previous comments, the popularity of the laptop in the near future will depend solely on us. We will determine whether it disappears or remains in the public eye. Since many of the newer, more compact devices now include snap-on keyboards, they are essentially laptops themselves, only without the touch pad/mouse issue as tablets and smart phones are touch screen. However, the larger your computer, the more memory you can put into it, so for memory storage purposes alone, the laptop will likely not die anytime soon, unless someone invents a tablet or phone that has a large source of removable or built-in storage. I think memory capacity will likely determine the future of the smaller devices as opposed to larger ones such as the laptop.

 

There will always be a place for laptops. The difference we have now in relation to the past is that people that didn't really need something as powerful as a laptop can buy another sort of mobile device. In the same way that laptops didn't replace desktops mobile devices won't replace laptops completely.

 

The facts are, desktop sales declined after laptop became more widely used, and eventually laptop sales exceeded desktop.
Tablets boomed when it was first out, but it has declined significantly since mobile phones got bigger.

However, since then Apple etc. top dogs had released even bigger tablets (iPad Pro) for "professional work". Microsoft's Surface Pro lines is the same but more sophisticated since it is a 2-in-1 device.

The way I see it,
1. desktop and laptop might not go away completely in short term, but they will continue to decline. I believe eventually laptop will be gone, but not desktops.
2. tablets will get a boost as more powerful 2-in-1 devices and "professional devices" are released. I believe they can totally take over the job of laptops. But some more powerful desktops/workstations will stay in order to complete some hardware demanding works.
3. Mobile phones will take over most of the nonprofessional work such as shopping, browsing, emailing, messenger, etc. yet they will not replace any professional devices.

So basically that will leave only very few desktop/workstations/mainframes/supercomputers for the hardest professional works. While as tablets get more powerful and be able to act as 2-in-1, they will take over all the work of current laptops and tablets. Mobile phones will, just stay as mobile phones and do mostly what people are doing now.

What do you think?

 

I can see your point but it might not be that soon, unless tablets really evolve a lot more and their size increases significantly. There are some tablets that can run Photoshop but could you imagine trying to edit a image on such a small screen. I think there will always be a place for desktops and laptops among professionals, for everyone else I think that it could evolve in the direction that you have described with one exception, I think the usage of tablets and smartphone might be equal. I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens.

 

I don't think they will. For people who have jobs that doing their work on a computer is necessary for example a writer, a smart phone or a tablet is not going to cut it. I think that you are right in that there will be a decrease maybe in the use of laptops due to tablets and smart phones just because the convenience of travel alone, however I do not see them being totally phased out.

 

Yes, not only I can imagine it. In fact I have already done it.
My Surface Pro 4 is a tablet and a laptop in one device. It has a 12.3" screen with a super high resolution. I have and use Photoshop elements 14 on it.

Apple's iPad Pro is also their first attempt to have a large screen tablet for the professional works. Many more manufacturers are also pushing out copycats of Surface Pro devices.

The usage of tablets is far below the smartphones right now.
I run a web site which contains a blog and a forum.
The #1 device the visitors use is smartphone. Followed by PC. Tablet takes the last spot.

There are in fact far more smartphones sold every year than tablets at the moment. But I do think the more sophistic 2-in-1 tablets will eventually take market share from laptops in large numbers... when their prices come down.

 

This is my way of thinking as well. I don't use my phone much since I prefer my ipad but, even then, there's lots of stuff it just can't do. As a freelance photographer, I need my computer for editing and be able to carry it everywhere as well. Not only that but any essay writing is impossible for me using the thouchscreen on the ipad, it just takes too long.

 

I'm sure that the Surface Pro can handle Photoshop elements 14 with out any problem but how does it handle Photoshop CC? Have you tried to install any virtual machines on it?

 

Yes, desktop sales declined when laptops came onto the scene but they didn't die it and are still almost just as prominent a household item as they were also were. They just get used less and are not as much of a necessity.

It also doesn't surprise me that tablet sales have declined since phones got bigger. Phones are much more functional, efficient and have more uses and are also more of a necessity. Additionally, tablets are not very functional, they are inefficient for many things and are just inconvenient for what they are supposed to be used for. In fact, I've actually given up on tablets all together, personally I think they are awful and are almost useless.

There's also something else which hasn't been mentioned - smart watches. Given that tablets and smartphones are getting bigger rather than smaller, is this going to have an effect on whether the popularity of smart watches takes off or not?

 

Just look at the specifications will tell you everything.
My Surface Pro 4 has
a Core i5-6300U @ 2.5GHZ;
8GB RAM,
256GB SSD

Why do you think it can't handle Photoshop CC or anything other laptops can handle? Photoshop CC actually includes Photoshop Element.

Surface Pro 4 is really a full Windows laptop in the form of tablet with detachable keyboard.

Tablets are fine for some situations. Basically they are for entertainment mostly. Convenient for stream videos, reading books, etc. Yet their usefulness is diminished when the introduce of larger smartphones. For quite some people, it is still better at doing these things than phones because the screen is still larger with higher resolution.