Windows 8 uncertainty blamed for decline in PC sales

or the first time in five years, PC shipments over the holiday shopping season were lower than the year before - and IDC is blaming Windows 8.

The research firm says that a hoped-for boost to sales from the new operating system failed to materialize, contributing to fourth quarter sales down by 6.4 percent, 4.5 percent in the US.

"Although the third quarter was focused on the clearing of Windows 7 inventory, preliminary research indicates the clearance did not significantly boost the uptake of Windows 8 systems in Q4," says Jay Chou, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker.

Source

A Guy

 

[mart4494]

I haven't forgotten. But I simply cannot ignore the fact that tablets and portable devices are selling like crazy, while pc's/laptops are in a serious slump. People have clearly demonstrated that they are willing to give up lots of stuff for portability and popularity. On screen keyboards, no ability to print, lack of card readers, no USB ports, low end gaming performance....and the list goes on and on and on. Yep, iPad's had the best Christmas sales of all time.

Just maybe the PC/Laptop market has hit maturity and that's it. Is there any point in myself upgrading my i5 to an i7 - nope in a word. But that's me and each person has different requirements. Those buying tablets maybe/probably only needed to check their emails, bit of web surfing plus some social networking thrown in for good measure. What I am seeing though are several non touch screen laptops being advertised with Win8 pre-installed. Sure we all know you can download a third party app to get the start screen back but most folks simply aren't aware of that.

I ran Vista on my laptop and got the thing up to a fairly decent speed after stripping out most of the dross. By that time though the ***t had hit the fan and whatever MS did was largely an irrelevance. Folks avoided it like the plague and most were eager to downgrade to XP.

The media are very quick to jump on the negative bandwagon over Win8 but in fairness it's all about first impressions. They (the media) usually haven't got the time or inclination to play around with programs. They're too busy chasing deadlines whether it's for web or print publishing.

Personally Win8 is not for me as there are no benefits over what I already have. But for others then I'm sure it will meet their daily requirements. As has been discussed extensively in this forum over and over, MS could have avoided all of this (controversy) if only they had offered the option of Classic or Metro UI at install time but hey, who knows what they are thinking. One thing I am convinced of though is that it would not have been beyond the scope of MS to have gone down the option road.

 

[Tepid]

I can see a tablet being a non-essential, but useful option for me, but it will never replace a 'proper' system in my case. Social-networking is not my thing, and I am not a 'content-consumer'. I not only need and want, but insist upon a powerful, fast machine with lots of storage space and a decent-sized 1080p screen. Mobile 'consumer' computing, facebook and Twitter is not, and never will be my idea of what real computing is all about. I'm one of those who will never relinquish the 'desktop/powerful laptop' paradigm. 'Real' computers won't go away, but sales will drop (then stabilise) as the great unwashed continue to realise that they never needed a PC in the first place to do what they do. An interactive TV would suit them better (or a phone/tablet). Doesn't do it for me though, I'm afraid.
Wenda.

Like a lot of people, you still view the Windows 8 Pro Tablets as a toy, something that is only good for Social and Content Consuming.
Like a lot of people, you fail to see that Windows 8 Pro Tablets are not iPad's or Android based tablets, yes, WinRT is.
Like a lot of people, you can not see what Win8 Pro Tablets are going to actually do to the market once in full swing.
Like a lot of people, You can not fathom the idea that they will/do have i5 and soon if not already i7 processors with 4G+ RAM

Along with everything else that comes with them, for a lot of people, especially those that don't do heavy gaming, Win8 Pro Tablets will be as powerful as the desktops they own now, and will soon replace them.

NOTE: and I ask you all this......... For those people that do, why would they waste their money on an iPad or Android tablet that is extremely limited in their functionality, when they can spend a little bit more and be able to take all of their software and entire desktop with them wherever they go, just as easily as taking one of those other very limited in usability devices?

My apologies, Tepid, for the long delay in replying. I've had some over-heating issues that I had to address (this Aussie heat-wave isn't kind to computers, and this thing has been hitting shut-down temps regularly lately. Fixed now, amazing the uses one can find for a bicycle-pump!).

Let me address your points:

1/ Not the Pro, I was referring to the RT. Perhaps I should have been clearer on this. My bad.

2/ No, I'm well aware of that. See above. BTW, I have had a bit of a play around with a Surface RT, and they're fine, for what they are.

3/ I wasn't talking about the market, I was referring to my personal needs/tastes. Others' needs etc will, of course, be different.

4/ Well aware of that, too. Actually, if I did not already have a very powerful laptop (i7 Sandy Bridge), the Surface Pro (not the RT) would probably be on my shopping-list. A Surface Pro with an i7, 8-16 GB RAM, a big HDD and at least a 16" screen would be great, IF I needed one. I don't, at this time, of course that could change.

Computer users/hobbyists/enthusiasts can't be put into the same box, everyone's needs, tastes and preferences will always be different. Not necessarily wrong or right, but different. A Surface Pro would be an addition to my current machines, not a replacement. My 'mobile' computing needs are limited, I can do most of it (email etc) on the phone. As stated, I don't do the Facebook/Twitter dance. Others may need more horsepower in a mobile computer than a phone can provide..

Please don't construe this as an attack, or as 'dissing' your points, it isn't. But for me, at this time, I don't need one, and cannot justify the cost (again, at this time). I have been computing for nearly 30 years, and apart from this i7 I have a Core2 Duo laptop, an ancient but unbreakable Pentium IV and a reasonably well-specced smartphone (no, not an iPhone), as well as several 'non-PC' computers, so I'm no novice or Luddite. Oh, I do game a bit, as well.

Anyway, Tepid, thanks for your input and for the points you made. Definitely 'food for thought'. Maybe we won't see eye-to-eye on this, but hey! That's life.

Have a great day

Wenda.

I don't take anything personally, I may come off a bit strong some times, but it's not always without merit

The moral of my posts are that many people like to generalize, and lump everything into one box.
This is a misnomer, and creates confusion and misinformation.

Everyone has opinions, and they are all fine, but too many people seem to blanket statement things in a way (and I am probably guilty as well) that comes off like this whole new era, and that is what it is, a new era of computing, is bogus for all people.

I think that people don't look at the bigger picture, they look at the walls that surround them and don't step outside to see that what is trying to be done here is a good thing. Right, wrong or indifferent, the way things are implemented could have absolutley been done way better, but, putting that aside, people refuse to take into account that this is a new era, and things will change, and a Surface Pro or similar Tablet, is in everyones best interest in the long run, otherwise, we stay stagnant and never move beyond the stationary system, which in really all honesty, on the grand scheme of things and technological progress is so far out dated by this time it's not funny.

Several years ago, there was a comercial, don't remember the brand or who it was for, but you see some guy walking around a court yard and talking, then they zoom in and you can see he has a device over his eye and seeing documents and other things during a meeting or presentation. We should be far closer to that than we are today with how fast technology expanded and exploded over the last 20 years. Yet, we are stuck in these stationary systems with little ability to really take everything with us on the go in a very conformed and easy way. We have Laptops, but they are cumbersome and you need a place to set them, it can't really walk and work at the same time, or just ist a bus stop, or bench and start working. We are about to break out of that stagnant mold.

Win8 Pro Tablets are the future. We should be embracing them, not trashing them and promoting the idea that the other guys have a better system when they factually do not.

WinRT is not horrible and will get better, but that is not the real future of computing,, in my estimation, WinRT will be only a minor blip and will most likly not be as popular, but I also think that those people that are only looking for content and social consuming would be better off with a WinRT than a nook or kindle as you can do both and so much more. However, WinRT is the direct competition to the iPad and Android Tablets, they (WinRT) still in my opinion have better options hardware and port wise than either of those.

We should be taking a step back and looking at it for what it is, not what we would do with them personally.
We should be far more objective in the use and productivity aspects, the potential for what they are for future use than the most of us are now.

We should not be trashing them, we should be objectively positive, discuss what can be better, but not going off the deep end claiming complete un-usability which there are a whole ton of people that are doing that, and they are flat wrong.

Is Win8 perfect, no, but it's a far leap ahead of the competition, and many fail to realize or even come close to attempting to point that out at any step.

 

[pparks1]

Just maybe the PC/Laptop market has hit maturity and that's it. Is there any point in myself upgrading my i5 to an i7 - nope in a word. But that's me and each person has different requirements.

I hear you there. I won't even upgrade from my Q9550 to a new Corei5/i7 because I just don't need an upgrade. My PC is 3.5 years old.

 

[Wenda]

All is good, Tepid, and thanks for your response.

Wenda.

 

[Jerbuta]

Doesn't sound like Windows 8 has anything to do with it? Haha.

 

[gbp007]

Is there a way to make the windows 8 interface to look like the regular standard interface we have all been used to for many years as in windows 7 ?

 

[Mike Lonewolf]

Sure there is gbp007, we use different ones, for me I use the FREE "Classic Shell" There are others out there as well, Stardock has their own version of the old desktop (start button).

 

[mcnulty]

Is there a way to make the windows 8 interface to look like the regular standard interface we have all been used to for many years as in windows 7 ?

Not entirely. Even if you install a third-party start menu, MetroTabletUI will keep popping up here and there. I'd recommed startIsBack myself:

Help! I’ve got Windows 8 and I miss my Start menu! | Ars Technica

 

[Lee]

Give it a couple more months and you should start seeing the Skinning Community putting out some new looks for win 8. It usually takes a few months for them to get all the bugs out of their skins. . .

 

[R0bR]

I'm not quite sure what makes 'touch' such a great deal in laptops and desktops, especially desktops. Touch is fine for simple activities, but try and do anything much more complex than typing a simple paragraph, for example (emphasis for the usual culprits), and the entire concept falls apart (unless you are into txt speak for example).

So who says that just because a laptop or desktop has a touch screen that you ONLY have to use touch? When you went from DOS to Windows did you abandon the keyboard and only use the mouse?

 

[R0bR]

But I simply cannot ignore the fact that tablets and portable devices are selling like crazy, while pc's/laptops are in a serious slump.

PC's and laptops are in a serious slump BECAUSE tablets and portables are selling like crazy. How can you call it a slump anyways? PC's and laptops were selling like crazy when there were no other device options, for many people tablets are filling in where they would normally of bought a new PC. Don't buy into what these so called "experts" say, it's a market shift, plain and simple.

 

[Tepid]

I'm not quite sure what makes 'touch' such a great deal in laptops and desktops, especially desktops. Touch is fine for simple activities, but try and do anything much more complex than typing a simple paragraph, for example (emphasis for the usual culprits), and the entire concept falls apart (unless you are into txt speak for example).

So who says that just because a laptop or desktop has a touch screen that you ONLY have to use touch? When you went from DOS to Windows did you abandon the keyboard and only use the mouse?

Yeah no kidding, I use the virtual keyboard on my phone and I don't txt speak. I hate txt for the most part.
It is a very childish and lazy way of texting. So no, even on a virtual keyboard, it is not difficult to write an essay.
If it is for you, I suggest getting an external keyboard.

try and do anything much more complex than typing a simple paragraph, for example (emphasis for the usual culprits)

Oh, sorry, that's right, that's lame and we should all just give up on the whole endeavor, it's useless and pointless and because one person can't do it, or doesn't like it, it's the end of it for everyone.

 

[Ray8]

So who says that just because a laptop or desktop has a touch screen that you ONLY have to use touch? When you went from DOS to Windows did you abandon the keyboard and only use the mouse?

That's exactly what I'm saying; whereas, some seem to think touch is now the in thing and keyboards and mice are so yesterday.

 

[Tepid]

So who says that just because a laptop or desktop has a touch screen that you ONLY have to use touch? When you went from DOS to Windows did you abandon the keyboard and only use the mouse?

That's exactly what I'm saying; whereas, some seem to think touch is now the in thing and keyboards and mice are so yesterday.

That is not entirely true.
There are a lot of people who expect new tablets to come with these thing, like the transformers and convertibles.
Where the excitement is, is the ability to leave that behind and actually do actual work in the most confined spaces, unlike how you would work with a laptop. The ability to grab your desktop and all your software and go.

Is a touch Keyboard the best device? Not for everyone, or all the time, no. But you have the ability to use either when needed.
Some people can be very proficient on a touch virtual keyboard.

 

[Ray8]

That is not entirely true.
There are a lot of people who expect new tablets to come with these thing, like the transformers and convertibles.
Where the excitement is, is the ability to leave that behind and actually do actual work in the most confined spaces, unlike how you would work with a laptop. The ability to grab your desktop and all your software and go.

Is a touch Keyboard the best device? Not for everyone, or all the time, no. But you have the ability to use either when needed.
Some people can be very proficient on a touch virtual keyboard.

You are agreeing with what I said. It's a feature that has uses, but it is not a replacement for a keyboard and/or mouse. Why is it that because I say it, it's taken to mean that I'm knocking the feature?

 

[Tepid]

Touch is fine for simple activities, but try and do anything much more complex than typing a simple paragraph, for example (emphasis for the usual culprits), and the entire concept falls apart (unless you are into txt speak for example).

ummm.....

No I was not agreeing with you. There are alternatives and you do not have to use it.

 

[Ray8]

[
ummm.....

No I was not agreeing with you. There are alternatives and you do not have to use it.

I know that you are not ideologically agreeing with me (heaven forbid), but technically you are agreeing with me, as I'm suggesting the very same thing that you are suggesting. An overly strong emphasis on touch capability can over-sell that feature, when in reality it is an adjunct that works very well in some situations, but not in all.

 

[Coke Robot]

I think it's kind of stupid when recently, some CEO's of said OEM's are saying Windows 8 demand wasn't where they thought it would be initially. I have to say, REALLY? Three years ago when Windows 7 came out, PC sales were pretty good because of the situation at the time, after vista, people from xp were looking to upgrade since Windows 7 was worth it over vista. PEOPLE DON'T BUY PCs EVERY THREE YEARS. It's not too difficult to understand. Windows sales will be usually good, but not PCs. I'd rather see OEMs cut down on how much stock they produce, and focus on developing on and perfecting really good quality, well built PCs.

 

[Mike Lonewolf]

This is all a bunch of nonsense! This will be Microsoft's SECOND attempt in the handheld space, with the Windows CE (Compact Edition) being their first and it was a huge failure. Don't believe me? Ask Ray8 he took that plunge according to the O/Ses he has listed. Hey Ray8? How did that palmtop revolution work out for you over the desktop/laptop eh? Now Microsoft waited and watched the iPad space, sure there has been some notoriety there, BUT there was a ton of notoriety for the palm pilot as well. *cough* *cough* where is the development of that at these day? Don't be fooled again, the tablet/iPad are just gimmicks, and like with the palm pilot and it's ilk died out.

 

[KentC]

I just want to say I've been able to help drive installations to Windows 8, and forced multi purchases. I myself bought two laptops cheap off ebay and plan to wipe those clean to Windows 8 after checking the processors online to see if they support NX bit and SSE 1,2 along with PAE. I am very happy with Windows 8 and Office 2013.

I will add I did get the 14.99 32bit upgrade offer, and even though it allowed the /sources setup to run, it didn't load the OS after restart on a multi-boot,showing "Windows Setup" , Windows 8 , and Windows 7 Enterprise. I couldn't get that to load, so for now I am stuck with a cheap Windows 8 Key to use for testing. I have run into another issue i will work on through cmd line and the consumer preview to test the legacy hardware. If anyone knows the SMEP bypass so I can make my 32bit Windows 8 Pro work, please send me a pm.


Again, the OS is amazing. All this hatred is wild to me..It's on it way to stardom just with the new features it's bringing..Visual Studio 2012 here I come!