A third of PC owners are shifting tasks to mobile devices

[Shawn Knight]

A new report from NPD Group further drives home the notion that the PC industry has a serious problem on its hands. As we all know, the problem in question is mobile devices – they continue to chip away at an industry that most probably never imagined could fall on such hard times.

The report notes that 37 percent of consumers that used to access content from a computer have now switched to using tablets and smartphones to accomplish the same tasks. Unsurprisingly, accessing Facebook and surfing the web were named as the two most popular mobile activities in the rapidly approaching post-PC era.

Similarly, 27 percent of smartphone owners polled said they have decreased Facebook usage and web surfing on their desktop and notebook computers. For tablet owners, 20 percent said they are using Facebook less on the PC while 27 percent surf the Internet less frequently from a traditional computer.

Having said that, the PC still reigns supreme in a number of tasks. For example, 75 percent of computer owners use it to surf the web compared to just 61 percent of smartphone owners who use their device for the same task. Only 53 percent of tablet owners use their slates to navigate the web.

We’re still at the infancy of mobile and already, it’s had a tremendous impact on the entire industry. A number of companies are now reevaluating their roadmaps to include mobile while companies like Facebook are looking to capitalize on advertising revenue from portables as quickly as possible. Either way you cut it, the landscape as a whole is changing.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/51583-a-third-of-pc-owners-are-shifting-tasks-to-mobile-devices.html

 

[Guest]

So if my math is correct, then 2/3 of PC owners "aren't" moving their tasks to mobile devices.Kudos to the author of this post for restraining himself from posting the title of this article as, "Tablets will soon rule the universe". Thank you Shawn. You are so disciplined.

 

[RH00D]

Nothing against the author or this article specifically, but I find articles that give this type of message are just wishful thinking, or more bluntly, "peeing in the wind". Desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones will all co-exist together. Mobile devices are increasing but that is to be expected as desktops and laptops already saturate the market and mobiles are relatively new so of course the mobile usage will expand. But I think all form factors will balance out in terms of market share.

 

[Guest]

"Only 53 percent of tablet owners use their slates to navigate the web."

Say what? About the only thing tablets are good for is surfing the web. If half of them aren't even doing that, then what the hell are people buying these things for. Angry Birds? What a waste of money.

 

[Ranger1st]

^ lol this .. seriously between this place and Extreme tech it's a wonder that there are any PC's left in the world.. I've got a top of the Line LG superphone.. I won't surf on it or use it in ANY public place or government building. 1) it's illegal in most government building to use ANY device with a camera on it and 2) most government building s block wifi/phone signals inside to keep people from infringing on other peoples privacy. Smart phones and the ignorant masses have doomed the device to the same limited spaces we send smokers now. In public the phone has the ability to infringe on someone privacy, if some feminazi decides that you've pointed the phone too close to her and she feels violated by it.. that's a federal level offence. Welcome to the REAL world of multi input personal devices and the issues of personal privacy..

 

[seefizzle]

I do a lot of tasks on my tablet and on my phones, so I have shifted tasks to other devices than my computer.

However, I also just bought another PC because I still can't do everything that I want to on a tablet. Or it's simply difficult and annoying to do these tasks on a tablet.

And regardless... I still think that every single ****ing thing is easier to do on a computer with a mouse and a real keyboard.

And on another subject, I'm still waiting for a good device to use on my tv. There is no device that handles the living room tv very well. I've looked into everything from the google tv to rasberry pi, rock paper scissors, roku, etc. They all have shortcomings that I can't deal with.

I think PC's, while they are looking like they're on the decline are still the best option for the things I want to accomplish. What sucks is that it's not people like me that are driving the markets. It's all the ***** tech users that drive the market. It's the people who need Apple's "simplicity" that are driving us towards all of these less functional touch devices that are driving us backwards and forwards at the same time.

**** this, I'm headed to the toilet to take a **** and read reddit on my tablet.

 

[ArthurZ]

This is why MS Office for Linux makes so much sense!

 

[Ma_ga]

Another "the PC is death" article, nice techspot, if you want me to get my news from kotaku, just say it....

 

[NTAPRO]

"Only 53 percent of tablet owners use their slates to navigate the web."

Say what? About the only thing tablets are good for is surfing the web. If half of them aren't even doing that, then what the hell are people buying these things for. Angry Birds? What a waste of money.

Most people I've seen so far use theirs mainly for netflix and games.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

I bought myself an Android tablet for Xmas last year because I wanted to see for myself what all the fuss was about. Man am I sorry. I'll dump it on some poor unsuspecting chump pretty soon for a couple of clams. That said, my Samsung Galaxy SIII is only used for making/receiving calls and messaging. It's very underutilized and a bling thing. Give me the good old fashioned desktop any day of the week.

 

[amstech]

My Droid 4's security, no matter what I do, monitor or install, is piss poor. I would feel more secure on a Windows XP 32bit PC with AVG Free with outdated virus definitions.

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

I don't own a tablet because I don't see the point when my PC does everything better.

But... the question still remains, why are PC sales struggling? I think tablets and smart phones are just one factor. Another factor is we've come to the point where your 4 year old PC still handles everything you need it to just fine. Windows 7 doesn't need to be upgraded, and the PC hardware of 2008 forward is still good enough for any non-gamer. The average person wouldn't notice a difference if they upgraded their PC to a newer model. This allows people to use money that would be spent on a new PC on a tablet.

Anyway, people are 'shifting' their use... I really doubt they've got their ipad going and have forgotten about the computer. I'd bet it's more like people are using both together, but that doesn't mean people have stopped using their PC.

 

[Littleczr]

I disagree.. I think the PC is still very viable. Specially for Homework/work. Tablets are only for casual users like My mom.

 

[MrBungle]

I don't own a tablet because I don't see the point when my PC does everything better.

But... the question still remains, why are PC sales struggling? I think tablets and smart phones are just one factor. Another factor is we've come to the point where your 4 year old PC still handles everything you need it to just fine. Windows 7 doesn't need to be upgraded, and the PC hardware of 2008 forward is still good enough for any non-gamer. The average person wouldn't notice a difference if they upgraded their PC to a newer model. This allows people to use money that would be spent on a new PC on a tablet.

Anyway, people are 'shifting' their use... I really doubt they've got their ipad going and have forgotten about the computer. I'd bet it's more like people are using both together, but that doesn't mean people have stopped using their PC.

Yes exactly, the PC has reached a level of maturity that makes it less and less necessary to upgrade like we did 10 years ago. That and the gap between generations is nothing like it once was, In the late 90's and early 2000's we would see clock speed boots of 2x or more year over year plus architectural improvements every 2 to 3 years every 18-24 months you could buy a system that was easily 4 or 5x faster than what you had even if you had purchased top end parts... Now its 2013 and I'm still wating for something to come out that is noticably faster than the i7 2600K I purchased in january of 2011.

 

[ReederOnTheRun]

The PC will never die. Sometimes small and mobile is a major disadvantage.

 

[Lionvibez]

I'm glad there are people on this site with common sense.

 

[hahahanoobs]

A third of PC owners should have never owned a PC.

*fixed*

A heck of a lot of people out there use a computer for the simplest tasks. Any mobile device can do that and some.

 

[Butch]

I have tried and tried to justify my tablets. I have had them all and REALLY tried to make them useful not only in my personal life but in business as well. I currently have a iPad3, Windows Surface RT and a Galaxy Note 10.1 and have given them all a fair chance at helping me in business, but you what? They can't. I still use my laptop 100% of the time in business and my desktop at home. With my desktop at home, my laptop for business and my iPhone for communication there simply is no place for a tablet. I use my iPad to read my Amazon Kindle purchased books and that's it. As a matter of fact, I have part of tomorrow set aside to put all these tablets up on eBay. Tablets are a novelty but because I am a tech geek with a serious addiction and disposable income, they are often irresistible to me when a new one is released. I always think: "Maybe this one will be it. Maybe it will be useful". But I am always disappointed. Maybe someday that will change...

 

[Xclusiveitalian]

No matter what PCs will never fall, its a never ending market, you will always need a pc.

 

[Julio Franco]

I only partly understand the backlash against Shawn's reporting of the NPD report. Personally, like most of you, can't replace a PC with a tablet or smartphone for most stuff. Thus far the tablet has proven useful for very light browsing/reading when I can't use my laptop, while the smartphone is actually extremely useful as an extension of my PC when I'm away from home or the office.

 

[captaincranky]

...[ ]....Thus far the tablet has proven useful for very light browsing/reading when I can't use my laptop, while the smartphone is actually extremely useful as an extension of my PC when I'm away from home or the office.

Granted these devices have some very worthwhile uses.

With that disclaimer out of the way.

Unfortunately, a large part of the smart phone and tablet market is smoke, mirrors, and plain old BS. It's nonsense that people in marketing sit around concocting, most of which is an affront to human intelligence, and preys on the addictive traits of the human personality.

Does one really need a "weight loss app"? (*) Do you need sports scores to the micro second? Does the weather report change that much over a period of hours, let alone running out your data cap checking your "weather app" every 5 minutes? Are people deluded to the point where they think the wiping their a** is big news, and they feel compelled to "tweet" about it? Are they simply inbred to the point where they've lost the ability to shut their mouth, or be alone for a few minutes?

(*) Eat less, do more! (Does anybody need me to write them an app for that)?

 

[IceB0x]

When I'm home, I do all my stuff behind pc, travelling with bus to another town, that's when mobile phone comes in.

 

[Guest]

So actually PC users are buying themselves new gadgets and the press says they are throwing their pc-s into the garbage. Is that intelligent or what?

 

[avoidz]

Another one of these articles? They are coming thick and fast lately. Is someone paying you to spread FUD about the PC industry or something?

Yeah, those oh-so-important "tasks" you speak of that are being ripped away from the PC are: checking Facebook, browsing cat pictures, playing Angry Birds. The desktop computer world is in chaos.

 

[veLa]

My devices fit together perfectly, some tasks are shared between them of course.

Smartphone: GPS, very good camera, google searches on the go, mobile facebook, couple of fun apps, flashlight.

Computer: Full facebook, powerful for real work like video editing, I can use a real keyboard and write fast, bigger screen, movies are better, no bullshit data plan.

I mean a computer is just way more comfortable to use, especially when you're writing or doing some sort of real task heavy stuff. The best thing about a smartphone is that I can do most the things my computer can do while on the move. It's more difficult, the software has fewer features, but it's helpful when I'm not home.