As the PC turns 30 years old, PC World asked industry leaders, including Bill Gates, their thoughts on the PC – past, present and future. One thing I disagree with, and I have for the past 20 years every time it is brought up, is that the end of the desktop PC is here. The desktop PC is always going to be relevant as long as we have desks. It is where we work, where we get things done. Tablets, laptops, netbooks don’t have the horsepower or the screen size or the ergonomics of a desktop PC to be a replacement. Nor does it have the enthusiast crowd following (yet).
"The PC has improved the world in just about every area you can think of," Gates said. "Amazing developments in communications, collaboration and efficiencies. New kinds of entertainment and social media. Access to information and the ability to give a voice people who would never have been heard. All of these have their roots in what the PC made possible, amplified and extended by other devices.
"But we’re still falling short in some areas," Gates added. "Education is one example, where the impact of technology lags behind almost every other part of society. There’s so much more that can be done to utilize technology in engage students, help teachers, and customize learning for each child."