Digital Home Thoughts: Long Live the PC!

"Dell said each user will have many devices, each geared for a specific task. "Some are better for carrying with you. Others are for consuming content, others are better for creating content." This runs counter to the idea that a smartphone or other mobile device will eventually become the multi-function computer of choice for work, communication, social networking and entertainment."

Despite what some CEO at a major computer manufacturer might say, I still hold firm in my belief that the smartphone will replace most of the functions of a PC for consumers. Sure, an iPhone or Nexus One cannot effectively help you do major video edits, or crunch large spreadsheets, but it allows people to consume with a very light amount of work. I am of the opinion that most people are happy just snapping and sharing photos, twittering their lives or looking up the price of a concert ticket. And of those things, I do not think a full fledged PC is necessary. I say this while admitting that I could never live like that. Needing to work with spreadsheets, code and TPS reports, I still have a workstation with multiple monitors that they will have to pry from my cold, dead hands. I think that Michael Dell does have one point though. Things do seem to be shifting towards specialized devices, each providing its own interface for information in the cloud. I just wonder what impact this will have on the people who do not have a persistent Internet connection.