My predictions for computing-What do you think?

[bigbaddog]

Last year I made a prediction-"In five years or less, CRT monitors will cease to exist...they will go the way of the Dodo bird and Betamax video recorder. The reason I feel this way-CRT's are expensive to make, heavy, power hungry and difficult to repair and dispose of."

Just the past month I make another prediction-"In ten years or less desktop computers as we know them today will be gone as well...laptops and all-in-one computers will be fast and cheap enough for everyone and desktops, which consume more power and take up more space will be a thing of the past." Which is sad because I hate laptops: I build desktops as a hobby and have been doing so for the last 6 years or so...so what do I do now? Mod laptops? Start building Minicomps?

Lets here from everyone-what is your opinion?

 

[Eagleboy]

Umm, CRTs are still alive and well. LCDs are, for the most part, terrible for color correction and greyscale representation. My school's digital print lab runs 19" Lacie CRTs, and they're incredible. Used, they're still ~$6-700 a pop.

The comparable LCDs? $1500+

And I disagree with your prediction. In terms of cooling, parts replacement, people like us and the such, there will still be a need for desktops. Even if just for the expansion cards (video, high-end audio recording, etc.).

 

[The General]

Took the words right out of my mouth Eagleboy. On both CRTs and Desktops.

 

[Waphlez]

To say CRTs will be "extinct" within 4 years is very unlikely, schools will stick with their CRTs because schools don't want to pay for new LCDs. CRTs are cheaper then LCDs (both manufacturing and consumer sales). About the laptop I also disagree, even today there are still a lot of heatproblems with laptops and high-end CPUs. There are still a lot of CRT monitors that are bundled in pre-built computers and since my old CRT (before I got a new monitor) is 10 years old and it still works fine. CRTs are known to last a while.

 

[Lord AnthraX]

I absolutley love CRT's


I mean sure Id rather have a LCD over a CRT if I could choose,

But the flat screen CRT'S at my shcool I used to go to were so nice.

Absolutley loved them.

 

[GameGURU]

Apparantly none of you have seen the good inexpensive LCD's which look far better than anything on a CRT. CRT's are terrible, hulky, polluting, heat causing, dust collecting, ugly chunks of nasty.

 

[uzi9mm]

i can definately vouch for a CRT in any application (not software, im talking realworld use) would beat the comparable LCD anyday...

In quality

 

[Apokalipse]

CRT's have higher refresh rates, and are cheaper. there's no "native resolution" with them either

my 21" CRT goes up to 2048x1536 and can get up to 200HZ refresh rate

 

[AnthraX]

Just the past month I make another prediction-"In ten years or less desktop computers as we know them today will be gone as well...laptops and all-in-one computers will be fast and cheap enough for everyone and desktops, which consume more power and take up more space will be a thing of the past." Which is sad because I hate laptops: I build desktops as a hobby and have been doing so for the last 6 years or so...so what do I do now? Mod laptops? Start building Minicomps?

I do not know the fate of desktop computers, but I think I can make a good guess for laptops. There has been an increasing rise in laptop popularity. They have been outselling desktops for over a year now. People want to be portable. Here in the USA, everyone is always on the go. It's nice when they can have their computer at home AND at work.

Both the 2 processor giants, Intel and AMD, are concentrating on get an amazingly low power processor. It's not performance anymore, it's performance-per-watt. (I have heard talks of Intel working on a processor running on less than 5 Watts?) Intel is also working with other companies to get a new battery source, and get away from Lithium Ion. Also, in the near future, Intel will unify its processor line. Make the server processors the same as the laptop processors. This will make desktops and laptops more comparable. If ATI and Nvidia start working on low powered GPUs, then that will add even more to make laptops more enticing.

There is one MAJOR thing that makes desktops so great. The expandibility. You can create your own machine. However, places like Coboc have made DYI laptops possible. They aren't very common, like desktops, but still, it's the start. Currently, Intel is working on creating a standardization of laptops. This will make DYI laptops very common and quite simple and also cheaper.

I don't know the fate of desktops. But laptops are on the rise. Soon DYI laptops will be almost as common as DYI desktops. Oh, one thing that would be hard to get out of a laptop, is watercooling.

 

[Waphlez]

The problem with me is that I would rather spend 600 bucks for a PS3 or new CPU or GPU then a laptop, so if I had the extra cash then I could get one but of course I want extra cash for lots of things.