Discussion on:

10 reasons why laptops aren't facing extinction

Laptops and desktops will be around for many years to come, as they are needed for the intense data entry tasks required by businesses. (As for a tablet with a separate keyboard, that is a "two-piece laptop.") Voice recognition could become a factor for initial data entry, but keyboards will be needed for the editing and revisions that inevitably occur. Tap, tap, scrap...on touch screens can handle some aspects of business applications; however, hardware keyboards will remain the center of the action for serious data entry.

"1: Hardware keyboards"

Many tablets (particularly the iPad) have Bluetooth KBs available that are built-in to a case for the tablet, making it more like an ultrabook with a full touch screen and with an optional keyboard. Many people with tablets use these and they seem to work very well.

"7: User upgrades"

That is a VERY niche market, to be honest.

"9: Choice of operating systems"

One of the factors that people use to pick a tablet in the first place is the OS, people don't buy an iPad and wish Android or Windows was on it... the iPad experience is tightly linked to iOS.

J.Ja

While most users are likely not to upgrade a laptop, Memory being the likely exception, a user can easily replace the HD with a SSD and most people can replace a damaged screen with a screwdriver.

As to 1: keyboard quality and size has always been a big sticking point. A poor keyboard is a struggle and can easily make or break a laptop purchase. The wee keyboards that most more compact devices offer are not a good substitute.

Lastly for 9: I've rescued several old laptops for people by converting them to Linux variants or down grading the windows OS to older versions that have lesser requirements. Personal favorite being Mint.
Pop out the old HD, mount it in a 6$ enclosure for later access, pop in a drive much larger for 40$, install OS...

"most people can replace a damaged screen with a screwdriver" - You sure on that? First where would people get the replacement part? Do you see parts that individuals can buy on Dell's or Toshiba's web site. Second, you need the right toold.
I remember a Dell laptop which had 3 different screen manufacturers. So you needed to know which screen manufacturer to request. Two used the same bezel but not the third.

Actually, most don't require a special tool. I just replaced the inverter board on an old Dell, with nothing more than a screw driver. But, you are right about the different screens, and many of the parts cannot be bought from Dell, you have to find a third party vendor, and then it is hard to know you are getting the right part.

I find the part number commonly available and always find multiple sources to purchase from. As to using screwdrivers, a small Philips head screwdriver has got me into pretty much any laptop and removed any of a dozen or so screens that I have replaced. I'm not a professional computer tech at a repair station. I've see Torx head on other parts in the case but anyone can get a 5$ tool set with most small to mid sized Torx and other special bits.

I would agree with your assertion for Laptop mainboards.

"This is such a weak article it reminds me of those shows on early evening Saturday night TV. "The worlds 20 worst canoe disasters" and such like."
Harsh, man...harsh.
I have had more than one person state that they were going to get a tablet so they could get rid of thier laptop. I asked them a few questions. Is your music/video/photo and docs stored somewhere else? What happens when you decide to switch from one music genre to another or watch that entire season of "The Unit" you so painstakingly ripped to .mp4 format? I prefer to keep my data on my own server, not too trusting of the cloud.
Point is - yes, i ramble - you can have a tablet as your main device, but you also need either a desktop or a laptop as well. I don't know of ANYONE that is "pure tablet".
So let's make that reason 11 why laptops arent facing extinction: No one - or at least there are very few - "pure tablet" users.

I have two laptops. A High end unit I use as a desktop with external keyboard and mouse as well as direct backup storage and network back up. We have one true desktop my wife uses for email -----an HP all-in-one, The "lesser" laptop is a Netbook which has literally been around the world as it is our main traveling computer. We use it to keep up with email and finances and need a keyboard for data input. The all-in-one will be a dust collector but I look to enhance the desktop replacement laptop and the Netbook for faster and larger storage with more functions. Laptops are not dead or even in the critical stage yet.

Everything still applies, along with the option for a larger monitor and ease of component replacement or upgrade.

While we do have an iPad 2, I still prefer the horsepower and versatility of a laptop. The iPad is great for checking e-mail, surfing the web. It's great if I need to quickly check something online because it is almost instant on at the push of a switch. I find the tablet lacking when it comes to productivity apps. It's annoying trying copy and paste. It simply doesn't work well at all with Google apps. There is a huge lag when trying to type a document. I heard the Android tablets have the same issue.

Bottom line my laptop and desktop win performance wise hands down.

I dont think laptops will be dead in fact I think they will be growing market.... Tablets just arent meant for the stuff that a laptop does. On other hand, desktops are clearly dying and there will be a shrinking market for them... With the advent of USB peripherals for everything and docking stations, desktops clearly have lost appeal. I only have laptops now and dont feel the need for desktops at all.

I just moved from a laptop to a desktop at work. I admit that I kept my laptop since I still have to be somewhat mobile, but I went to a desktop when I'm actually at my desk for the larger monitors and the computing power. I need that real estate and power for the large, intensive apps that I use.

Most people will be able to use laptops exclusively, but there is still that subset of people who will need desktops.

Typing is still the fastest method of getting text & figures from people's head into computer, and this is still the most ergonomical position of doing it:

http://www.officemuseum.com/IMagesWWW/Early_1920s_Veterans_Bureau_Calculating_WWI_Vet_Bonuses_LOC.JPG

Barring a radical change of our DNA, it will remain so for the foreseeable future.

Nice job showing how mobile devices are not really going to take over the world. I'm getting pretty tired of that hype. They're carving out a nice niche, but they are not going to replace laptops or desktops anymore than a screwdriver will replace a hammer. Different tools for different jobs.

Tablets for now are nothing more than a rabid craze of a new technology, which will eventually fade. What will be left remaining in the dust of the rabid craze? Good ol' laptop and desktop.

Am I saying tablets don't have some niche purpose in business? No. I've defended tablet use in the business environment and even useful for content munchers only. What I am saying is that for the most part (pure assertion mind you) the tablet technology is the new craze/fad/whathaveyou and it will eventually die, then people will go back to using their laptop and/or desktop more than the tablet.

Most folks I've talked to at work and in my personal sphere have told me the tablet just can't replace their full computer mostly for reasons you've mentioned in your article. Response for keeping the tablet around is for use as a "in-between" or "on-the-go" device mainly for content munching. My question is: why pay the apple price for on-the-go content use when the kindle fire is cheaper?

Generally I think that with all those shortcomings of a tablet, you'd make a good lawyer for the laptop, and even the desktop industry. However, keeping portability in mind you've made many good points for laptops over tablets.

I continually get hardware ad's for things like "only $70 for a small keyboard that will plug into your tablet"; or as you mentioned, "docking stations".

I simply don't ever see myself opting for a tablet when I can spend about $100 more and get a fully equipped laptop (hardwarewise) that will run all the software I need.

I do agree that tablets do have a niche in the market but I personally don't ever see them fully replacing laptops. The tablets have a long, long way to go before they can ever come close to replacing a fully capable computer.

That's JMHO !!!

As an IT guy, I often have occassion to want to test out some solution or other that I'm working on, as well as testing new software and/or OSes. The perfect solution is to run a VM (virtual machine for nontechies). Although a tablet may have the horsepower to run a single VM, I often need multiple ones to test server based tech as well as desktop tech. Tablets simply don't have the RAM or CPU capabilities of either a desktop or high-end laptop.

The fact is that tablets were made for the average person who wants content over productivity. (The one notable exception to this is the folks in sales. They typically can run whatever apps they use from their tablets. My son is in sales and he uses his IPad almost exclusively for all his needs). They weren't meant to replace laptops or desktops, but rather act as a carry around for some of the things you can do on a laptop, but don't want to lug one around.

that the tablets themselves are having laptop-envy, and thus, they're being "upgraded" or improved, to the point that, tablets are becoming laptops. Sure, tablets that are growing up to become laptops will be lighter and smaller, but, they're essentially becoming laptops when they need to get added equipment, like attachable keyboards or attachable larger screens, and more main memory, and much larger storage, and ports for connecting other devices.

Essentially, the laptops already have the advantage, where, they're actually, already the competition for tablets. In order to remain a competitive form-factor, tablets are having to grow to become laptops. And, hey, with the newly released ultra-laptops/ultra-notebooks, the tablets are becoming less of an option.

We have been trying out tablets for work for some months, both iPad2 and Acer iconia and generaly found that we still have to have the laptop (or desktop) and the tablets seem the primary cause of frustration for many.
The iPad basically is treated as a toy and had limited business use due to its Apple dependencies. We primarily run Windows 7 and a linux server.
the Acer though a little more useable, due to the android openness, is still too limited in practical use.
On all tablets we found that data entry, storage, printing, disply etc just too limited.
What takes 5 minutes on a $600.00 laptop can take excess of 20 minutes on a $1000 iPad. (Yes iPads are over a $1000 in Australia) The $550 acer was still 15 minutes with customised apps.
Multiply that by 10 times a day and you soon see the problem.
Finally comments back from users, who are not particularly tech minded, has that even though the tablets seemed "Fun" for mucking around on, they were awkward to use in a business setting. And nearly everyone hated the tiny 10" screens for general documents and diagrams - quote from one "Forever zoom in, zoom out, turn sideways, turn back etc etc"
Lastly you can't rely on mobile internet in Australia and so data needs to be stored locally. Basic laptops have 500GB storage, tablets 16 to 64GB ? (At least the Acer allowed USB storage but still slow access.)

I think that tablets are a new trend, and that it will grow larger over the next few years. The convenience and the instant on are a big advantage. Desktops and laptops aren't going anywhere for all the reasons mentioned by the commenters.

-keyboards
-horsepower
-screen real estate
-etc.....

But, a lot of people are finding they don't need a PC at home. They don't do a lot at home, except browse a bit, check email, play simple games, and watch the occasional video. Those who do more need more (obviously), but even though I really really need a desktop at work, I could get by with a tablet at home, except for my occasional foray into games that won't be coming to tablets anytime soon. I'm waiting for Mass Effect 3 at the moment. Other than that, I only keep my desktop for the screen real estate. I cannot imagine giving up my 21" monitor for a 10" tablet.

But, I am not most people and neither are most of the commenters here. Get ready for it, Tablets are here to stay.

Technology is a field in which logic is the prime factor. Clairvoyance should never play a part in the possible future of IT. It cannot be predicted, merely calculated, as Moore's law might suggest.
Jason Hiner is possibly the biggest culprit for a hasty prediction. Caught-up in the Apple storm, perhaps? Not everyone can afford to replace their almost new device with the very latest every few months.

I agree with everyone here - there will always be a market for laptops due to connectivity and the power-to-portability ratio.
As for desktops, there will always be a market for those, too. How many businesses would you expect to take their office staff off the humble, affordable desktop for a diddly, expensive tablet? The replaceability of parts increases the longevity of the desktop and reduces the cost. The option to have a larger display also helps - we have users with 19" displays at 800x600, could they work at a greater resolution on a smaller display?

The enthusiast market is also a major player for desktops - getting exactly what you want in your system matters to the self-builder, and there are a lot of us.

I've never understood the whole tablets vs. laptop/desktop mind set. They are two different tools for different types of computing and uses.

Well all comments are valid but what percentage of people really want to play high end games or type hell lot of text?
Only a small percentage of people using the options you highlighted will use laptop. Probably they'll own both, a laptop and a tablet; and carry either of the two according to the day's need.
Subsequently, a laptop will be what a desktop is today. used by very few for specific applications.