The reason Intel is not producing hot chips anymore

[ehume]

The Register has a nice piece on the decline of the PC and the rise of the tablet, Here.

And this is why Intel is turning its back on us.

 

[ShintaiDK]

Nobody besides a tiny tiny niche wants hot chips. If you feel Intel is turning its back on you, you belong to that niche.

 

[ehume]

In America, "hot" also means 'good,' as in a hot car or a hot chick. In this context, "hot" was a pun for enthusiast chips. If I wanted hot as in temperature, IBM Power CPU's ran very hot IIRC.

 

[ninaholic37]

I'll keep my keyboard and screen separate (on a 90 degree angle from each other, laptop/desktop style). Being able to rest my hands while typing and still being able to see the monitor is a Good Thing™.

 

[Headfoot]

The comment saying that tablets/slabs/phones and other touch input will replace TV and print media is like 75% of the way there. Any place where the desktop hasn't already been eliminated by the laptop or netbook won't change much with the tablet. Laptops are going to see a downtick compared to tablets and netbooks are already gone because of them.

Tablets are an addition to the family, creating market space in addition to the area that they take from laptops/netbooks. They are the 3rd or 4th computing device for a person without displacing them. Another tool in the box

If anything big iron is going to experience resurgence as less and less heavy computing can be done on the front end device. However the common theme here is power efficiency because of the scale of server implementations and power constraints on mobile devices (batteries).

 

[Berliner]

I can only image how great netbooks would have become without everyone and his mother going crazy over dumbed down tablets.

 

[Zodiark1593]

So, another dummy that claims the pc is dying. A tablet makes a very poor replacement for a desktop for those using them to their full potential, and a full blown server is waayyyy to expensive to justify a hobby. Cloud compute isn't even an option for myself. The only option for cheap compute is the desktop.

 

[Zorba]

The comment saying that tablets/slabs/phones and other touch input will replace TV and print media is like 75% of the way there. Any place where the desktop hasn't already been eliminated by the laptop or netbook won't change much with the tablet. Laptops are going to see a downtick compared to tablets and netbooks are already gone because of them.

Tablets are an addition to the family, creating market space in addition to the area that they take from laptops/netbooks. They are the 3rd or 4th computing device for a person without displacing them. Another tool in the box

If anything big iron is going to experience resurgence as less and less heavy computing can be done on the front end device. However the common theme here is power efficiency because of the scale of server implementations and power constraints on mobile devices (batteries).

This.

A big part of the reason why PC sells are down so much is because for most people the last few years has just given them small incremental improvements in performance for their day to day lives. If 90% of the you use your computer for the internet and microsoft office, a 4 or 5 year-old computer will be just fine. It isn't like back in 2001 where the most computer illiterate person could feel the difference between a new and 5 year-old computer. It has even gotten to the point were you can play some decent games on older and cheaper computers reasonably well.

 

[tential]

So, another dummy that claims the pc is dying. A tablet makes a very poor replacement for a desktop for those using them to their full potential, and a full blown server is waayyyy to expensive to justify a hobby. Cloud compute isn't even an option for myself. The only option for cheap compute is the desktop.

So you're going to ignore all the evidence that PC sales are slowing, Processor sales are slowing, etc. and say the PC market isn't dying down?

Seriously?

OBVIOUSLY there is still a use for desktops, but EVERY company is realizing that if you focus on desktop market you will FAIL. Mobile chips is where every company's focus is. Yes, I still LOVE having my desktop. I would be lying if I said my laptop and tablet don't get a TON of use. Actually about to watch some TV using XBMC on my tablet right now. It was much quicker to take it downstairs and has a much longer battery life for viewing TV than my laptop and it's mobile unlike my desktop.

You still got a CRT monitor too brah?

 

[meloz]

The Register has a nice piece on the decline of the PC and the rise of the tablet, Here.

And this is why Intel is turning its back on us.

Facile argument, I do not buy rise of tablets is somehow 'forcing' Intel to treat PC like stepchild. The two are entirely different product lines (Atom versus Haswell), only reason Intel cripples and profiteers with desktop CPUs is because they can, they have no competition.

Intel has resources and profits enough that they do not need to abandon the desktop enthusiasts. Even with the 'death of the PC' rolleyes and Intel's marginal tablet + smartphone marketshare they are still making near record profits.

 

[Zodiark1593]

So you're going to ignore all the evidence that PC sales are slowing, Processor sales are slowing, etc. and say the PC market isn't dying down?

Seriously?

OBVIOUSLY there is still a use for desktops, but EVERY company is realizing that if you focus on desktop market you will FAIL. Mobile chips is where every company's focus is. Yes, I still LOVE having my desktop. I would be lying if I said my laptop and tablet don't get a TON of use. Actually about to watch some TV using XBMC on my tablet right now. It was much quicker to take it downstairs and has a much longer battery life for viewing TV than my laptop and it's mobile unlike my desktop.

You still got a CRT monitor too brah?

Jeez, My apologies for wanting a capable 3D rendering platform, and a primary gaming platform.

 

[Techhog]

So you're going to ignore all the evidence that PC sales are slowing, Processor sales are slowing, etc. and say the PC market isn't dying down?

Seriously?

OBVIOUSLY there is still a use for desktops, but EVERY company is realizing that if you focus on desktop market you will FAIL. Mobile chips is where every company's focus is. Yes, I still LOVE having my desktop. I would be lying if I said my laptop and tablet don't get a TON of use. Actually about to watch some TV using XBMC on my tablet right now. It was much quicker to take it downstairs and has a much longer battery life for viewing TV than my laptop and it's mobile unlike my desktop.

You still got a CRT monitor too brah?

It's still jumping the gun to save that tablets will completely replace them anytime soon.

 

[Bubbleawsome]

You still got a CRT monitor too brah?

You 13 brah?

But seriously, I agree it it because intel has no competition, and thus little reason for us to buy more stuff. My 5 year old pc only needed a graphic card upgrade and it should last for another 2-3 years on the CPU side before an upgrade. Never before has a 5 year old chip (870) still been equal to a mid range processor.

 

[positivedoppler]

Jeez, My apologies for wanting a capable 3D rendering platform, and a primary gaming platform.

Apology accepted.

I think desktop will die faster than notebook. Everyone at my company uses a notebook for office suite, and the only desktop left are kiosk machines. Only reason to have a desktop now is for an expensive gaming rig or niche programs that needs the horsepower.

Will notebooks go away if tablets get powerful enough. Maybe, but for now i like doing work on a big screen and keyboard, having a good docking device for tablets might change that though.

 

[Zodiark1593]

You 13 brah?

But seriously, I agree it it because intel has no competition, and thus little reason for us to buy more stuff. My 5 year old pc only needed a graphic card upgrade and it should last for another 2-3 years on the CPU side before an upgrade. Never before has a 5 year old chip (870) still been equal to a mid range processor.

I believe one person on these forums is running a 4 GHz Core 2 Quad and still getting good framerates in modern games like Battlefield 4. I myself would love to see six cores going mainstream soon, and 10+ cores on the enthusiast platform.

 

[Maximilian]

This.

A big part of the reason why PC sells are down so much is because for most people the last few years has just given them small incremental improvements in performance for their day to day lives. If 90% of the you use your computer for the internet and microsoft office, a 4 or 5 year-old computer will be just fine. It isn't like back in 2001 where the most computer illiterate person could feel the difference between a new and 5 year-old computer. It has even gotten to the point were you can play some decent games on older and cheaper computers reasonably well.

Yeah a 5 year gap a decade ago was a bigger leap for sure:

A decade ago:
Early athlons & P4's in the ghz range
vs
Pentium II 450mhz

Huge difference, PII became hopeless pretty quickly, forget the latest games!

Today:
4770k & FX8350
vs
i7 920 & Phenom II X6

Not so huge... That 920 and X6 will be useful for many years to come, they will run the latest games reasonably well.

 

[frozentundra123456]

Apology accepted.

I think desktop will die faster than notebook. Everyone at my company uses a notebook for office suite, and the only desktop left are kiosk machines. Only reason to have a desktop now is for an expensive gaming rig or niche programs that needs the horsepower.

Will notebooks go away if tablets get powerful enough. Maybe, but for now i like doing work on a big screen and keyboard, having a good docking device for tablets might change that though.

I am one of the die hards that still feels a strong allegiance to the desktop. I have a new dell laptop for my work, that is undeniably "faster" in benchmarks than the old core 2 desktop in the same office. But anytime I want to do some serious spreadsheet productivity work, I will invariably use the desktop with the full size keyboard and big monitor.

I have a tablet, laptop, and desktop and like them all. (Well the tablet is an android POS, but I like the formfactor, and I am sure newer android and windows tablets are much better.) I just get upset at exaggerated, sensationalist journalists proclaiming the death of the desktop. Even if desktop sales suddenly dropped to zero, there are a huge number in use and will continue to be used for a long time.

 

[PliotronX]

Yeah cuz you know I can run adobe audition on a tablet...

 

[positivedoppler]

I am one of the die hards that still feels a strong allegiance to the desktop. I have a new dell laptop for my work, that is undeniably "faster" in benchmarks than the old core 2 desktop in the same office. But anytime I want to do some serious spreadsheet productivity work, I will invariably use the desktop with the full size keyboard and big monitor.

I have a tablet, laptop, and desktop and like them all. (Well the tablet is an android POS, but I like the formfactor, and I am sure newer android and windows tablets are much better.) I just get upset at exaggerated, sensationalist journalists proclaiming the death of the desktop. Even if desktop sales suddenly dropped to zero, there are a huge number in use and will continue to be used for a long time.

A tablet that can run all your office software but can also dock to a full size keyboard and monitor will be the end of pcs. I think I'll name this new device tabtop, or desklette, or even notelette. Trademark it now and make trillions from qualcomm

 

[Spawne32]

So, another dummy that claims the pc is dying. A tablet makes a very poor replacement for a desktop for those using them to their full potential, and a full blown server is waayyyy to expensive to justify a hobby. Cloud compute isn't even an option for myself. The only option for cheap compute is the desktop.

The PC isnt dying, the desktop computer is. We have known for 20 years that this would eventually be the case. We just never expected it to happen so soon. You only see thing's from one side of the coin because you are an enthusiast, but enthusiasts make up such a small percentage of the computer market our presence is negligible to a company like intel or AMD. Regular consumers dont want a clunky desktop pc, they want portability, and the sad truth of it is, they dont know of, or want the idea of a "gaming pc". The generation after us 90s pc enthusiasts, and the generations to come, understand the concept less and reject the idea even more for consoles and so many people are lost to the fact that PC gaming paved the way for the consoles.

You have to look at it from this concept, if 50 years from now every computer on the market is just as fast as the next, be it tablet, phone or pc, what purpose does the enthusiast still have?

 

[VirtualLarry]

I don't think the desktop is dying off completely. More like morphing into a re-birth. Witness the success of the Intel NUC and the Gigabyte Brix units. USFF is taking off. Yet, fundamentally, it's still a "desktop". It's not portable; it's still designed for a mouse / keyboard / screen.

 

[Spawne32]

I don't think the desktop is dying off completely. More like morphing into a re-birth. Witness the success of the Intel NUC and the Gigabyte Brix units. USFF is taking off. Yet, fundamentally, it's still a "desktop". It's not portable; it's still designed for a mouse / keyboard / screen.

Those types of units are really only going to see one MAJOR usage, and thats in a business/industrial environment where company's want a physical computer attached to a workstation. Sure you might get some HTPC home theatre end users, but the majority of those people are going to sway towards laptops or tablets, or an xbox or playstation for their entertainment needs. Hell I honestly dont know why the sale of monitors for desktops is so popular still, when I can go to walmart and buy a 36" vizio for the same price and hook my desktop up to it.

 

[Torn Mind]

Average joe consumer doesn't need a desktop to do what they want. And it is not just a matter of wealth. I viewed a house the owners were selling. They had a bunch of laptops hooked up to a TV in various areas in the house. There was one desktop for the old man dad in his office, but there were also laptops.

Good enough has been reached for many tasks people want to so, and now the goal is fitting C2D performance in tighter and tighter power envelopes. The desktop will live, as there will be pros in various sectors, such as artists, architects, engineers and the financial sector that will require them(and gamers, but they are not pros), but there is not a ubiquitous need among the general population; in fact, I would not be surprised many look upon them with derision.

 

[Spawne32]

derision, interesting choice of words lol

 

[Torn Mind]

I don't think the desktop is dying off completely. More like morphing into a re-birth. Witness the success of the Intel NUC and the Gigabyte Brix units. USFF is taking off. Yet, fundamentally, it's still a "desktop". It's not portable; it's still designed for a mouse / keyboard / screen.

Perhaps on the low end, but the high end will remain unchanged. There will still be workstations like Dell Precisions or pros to use. I suspect that typical prebuilts under 500 US dollars and the equivalent will see a shrinkage in offerings in affluent countries. The Core i7s and i5s will stay.