Ironically, the iPad might sell more laptops in the long run.

Consumers keep their gear longer than enthusiasts (just think about any computer you've been asked to look at because it's "acting funny").  If they still need* a "real" computer, the iPad's convenience and portability will probably push their once-a-decade computer purchase into the laptop column.

*as with all needs, it's a perceived need, not an actual need

PC Makers Grasping At Straws, live in fantasy world.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AppleInsider 

Notebook original design manufacturers who spoke with DigiTimes said although Apple's iPad continues to have strong sales, they believe its negative effect on global notebook sales is declining. They said that's because most tablet-style devices "focus on entertainment rather than working and learning."
The story cites Simon Lin, chairman of Wistron, who said he believes the iPad has created demand for a new market, rather than replacing demand for more traditional notebooks.
Lin believes that a bigger reason for sagging notebook sales is a global recession, which he said has caused consumers to delay notebook purchases. He and others in the Taiwan supply chain are hopeful that demand for notebooks will pick up with the launch of Intel's next-generation Ivy Bridge chips, along with Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system.
Sources in the Far East supply chain reportedly indicated that Acer, Asus and Samsung are "optimistic" about notebook sales in the second half of 2012. American-based PC makers Hewlett-Packard and Dell are said to be "neutral."

Curiously, Apple's notebook sales have continued increasing while Windows-based notebook sales have declined. Apple's biggest gains in computer sales have been in Asia, so this certainly isn't a US-centric phenomenon.

On top of that, there have been a plethora of articles showing increased use of Macs in enterprise, again indicating that Apple does not seem to be affected by this recession.

Moreover, a huge number of Fortune 500 companies have deployed or are working on deploying iPads to their workforce. Now, that doesn't really sound much like a "focus on entertainment rather than working and learning", does it?

Admittedly this is something the Windows supply chain manufacturers are going to parrot, since there's no good news right now for them. And quarter after quarter, they can watch Apple bust sales records then glumly shut off Bloomberg/MSNBC/CNN/whatever.

The MS era is over. PCs are not over but anyone with any sense will buy a Mac. MS Windows always has problems, works inconsistently, utilizes unrest upgrades that wreck your system, and throws all kinds of other misfortune to us users.

We want something that works and is reliable. We want software that we don't have to troubleshoot. The company meeting this need is Apple. After decades of windows headaches I'm using iPad and headed to a MacBook next.

No it's not PCs that are dead, it's MS Windows

Quote:

Originally Posted by AppleInsider 

... Lin believes that a bigger reason for sagging notebook sales is a global recession, which he said has caused consumers to delay notebook purchases. ...

Logically, this explanation pretty much has to be either BS or wishful thinking.  

The current "global recession" is very slight compared to almost any other economic slowdown in the last 10 or 20 years.  If it's enough to make people hold off on computer purchases, why haven't any of the larger and more pronounced "recessions" had the same effect?  

It's much more likely that drawdown in laptop demand actually *is* a result of the realisation that most of what people use a laptop for can be done on a smartphone or a tablet.  The popularity of the netbook previous to the introduction of the new touch-based mobile devices is also a strong indicator of people wanting a different kind (smaller, lighter, cheaper, easier) of mobile experience than a laptop can provide, as is the current popularity of the so-called "ultrabook." 

In short, there is way more evidence for the more obvious explanation than there is for this wistful rumination.  

I got a new work PC last week with Windows 7. It seems to actually have less functionality than XP.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newera 

The MS era is over. PCs are not over but anyone with any sense will buy a Mac. MS Windows always has problems, works inconsistently, utilizes unrest upgrades that wreck your system, and throws all kinds of other misfortune to us users.
We want something that works and is reliable. We want software that we don't have to troubleshoot. The company meeting this need is Apple. After decades of windows headaches I'm using iPad and headed to a MacBook next.
No it's not PCs that are dead, it's MS Windows

You are dreaming ..go to any information system department of any company and see if Windows is over..no one in the right mind will use Mac in the corporate world. Moreover, Mac os x is as buggy as Windows and gets viruses too btw. I love Apple but for complex applications you simply cannot use their software.

There are points that can be argued several different ways on what will affect what. Was battery life and or processing power holding back the sales of laptop pcs to this point in time? Are people waiting for Windows 8 to upgrade, especially since they were burned in the past with upgrading machines they thought would be able to take the new windows system(was it vista?) that really couldn't be upgraded? Are users, outside of the tech crowd, really looking forward to Windows 8? Are they looking for a compatible tablet with the promise of a Surface? Is the tech crowd looking forward to windows 8(I have seen a lot of negativity in print) and are the only ones looking forward to this new system are the MSFT fans? Lots of question without answers until the time arrives.

Some other thing that might influence people's decisions. What will the new iPad look like and what will its functionality be? One other thing that might influence decisions is what happens with the next iPhone? As an Apple investor, I know how I hope things go and I don't think that PC makers will like it. I have a feeling that they know it as well but are afraid to say it out loud.

Neal