Comment by benologist | Hacker News Reader

Comment by benologist | Hacker News Reader

I think Windows has become obsolete. For most people it's now something you choose to install in increasingly annoying update windows vs automatically installed on new PCs that used to sell like hotcakes. Everyone was automatically opted out of Windows 10 as they kept using old computers with no compelling reasons to buy a new PC again (probably 'ever' for most people). Phones usurped a lot of tasks that are more convenient that way and that will only continue.

I think Google will do some damage to Windows next year through Surface clones and Chromebooks. Chrome OS is getting pretty competent with support rolling out for the full Play Store... and through that people have already installed the Windows version of Steam and playable games. The full desktop browser is also very empowering. Overall it's becoming directly equivalent at all the good stuff, it's even Linux under the hood and can co-install full Ubuntu. What it leaves behind allows for mindless security, no upkeep, and performance.

Apple like to think their iPad Pro is the next generation of PCs too -

http://www.macrumors.com/2016/08/01/apple-new-ipad-pro-compu...

I'm not sure there's a single task that I've found more convenient to do on a phone than a desktop.

Call people ;P

Also, your PC does not look like the average PC. Think 3-6 years old and filled with spyware.

In general, I think you're right. Were I less paranoid about apps, it's entirely possible that some of them would be more convenient than using my desktop (at this point, I basically cannot trust anything in the Play Store, so bad is the permissions situation). That said, these things are more convenient on a phone or tablet:

- directions & navigation

- reading an ebook on the train

- watching a movie while programming on the desktop

- texting (in fact, it may not be possible)

- using Signal for messages & voice

- tracking my steps in Google Fit

- hailing an Uber

- translating a menu with Google Goggles

That's about all, though. I still prefer my desktop for games, for programming, for creation in general. It's 50-50 between the desktop & a phone or tablet when it comes to browsing the web: the convenience of mobile is nice, but my desktop screen is much nicer.

Taking photos :)

But seriously, the small screen and accelerometers viabilize different kinds of interactions. Some games manage to be fun on mobile, while they would obviously be very dull on desktops. I would not be surprised if there were serious applications exploiting those features too.

And there is the "taking photos" category, where I was only half joking. There's a set of tasks that the desktop can't even handle.

My 8 inch Windows tablet which is not much larger than many phablets and runs a full desktop OS works better and gives me way more control.

Tell me, what category of tasks could it not handle?

Well unless apple releases iPad Pro that can actually run programs instead of "apps" from store then maybe. But it's not the case.

And for Chromebook, I don't think it's even close.

This is obviously anecdotal but I work on a somewhat popular web game (millions of sessions/month despite having a mobile app) and Chrome OS (1.15%) represents less of our sessions than even 3rd place Linux (1.23%). We actually get almost as many people visiting our web game from a mobile device _by mistake_. So to put it lightly, Chromebook has some work to do.

What's the difference between running "apps" and "actually running programs"?

Pokemon Go is an app.*

Visual Studio is an actual program.

* Technically "app" is also a program. But I think people got what I meant.

Pokemon Go is a game.

The point is, I don't see any reason why you can't make productivity programs for iPad or an Android tablet. There are plenty out there.

However, I wouldn't use an IDE on there because I prefer a laptop with a bigger screen and a good keyboard for dev work.

AFAIK it's just hard to do. Imagine porting 3dsMax or Photoshop to run as a mobile/chrome app. I think it would just require too much work.

Trust me, I would love for it to be the case, but I honestly don't see it being that way in the next 5 years minimum.

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