Goodbye Desktop Computer, It Was Fun While It Lasted

Invented and commercialized by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, founders of Apple Computer Inc., the personal computer, the beloved desktop version, exploded on the scene in 1976. Some of you may be old enough to remember that Time magazine named the desktop computer "Man of the Year" in 1982, establishing it as a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

But, on April 3, 2010 the "inadequate police" raided the desktop computer's celebration, which had lasted 34 years, and told everyone it was time to disperse. That was the day Apple Computer Inc., ironically, launched tablet computing to the forefront of consumer consciousness with the iPad. And, although you may feel that my dismissal of the beloved desktop is premature, my theory is fully rooted in historical precedence...in the telecommunications industry.

As you well know, technology tends to get smaller, faster and cheaper over time. But, the Achilles heel of the desktop computer is not its performance, nor its price, nor its portability. The Achilles heel of the desktop computer is its lack of mobility. 

Remember corded telephones, so near and dear to the Baby Boomer and preceding generations? Today they have largely been replaced in the home by the cordless handheld; a mobile device that provides the required functionality at the user's chosen location within the home, with an acceptable user-experience, for essentially the same price. Wow...sound familiar.

Now, an obscenely large, or dual display configuration will always be desired. Therefore, I envision tablets will eventually have docking capabilities, as laptops do, to satisfy these requirements. But, netbooks were developed because laptops fell short in certain situations, and tablets were developed because neither laptops, nor netbooks hit the mark. They both are simply portable, not mobile. You can move a laptop or netbook from one place to another, but as for using them while  in transit, or while standing, it's not going to happen. And, that my friends is true freedom.

So, Time magazine's 1982 "Man of the Year", get your business in order. We haven't seen the last of you or your close buddies. But...the party is over.