What happened to desktops? How do I get this antique machine?

Last Updated on September 6, 2024

Yes, you might be asking yourself if those “machines” are still being manufactured. Modern society has taken a much more mobile lifestyle. For some people a large bulky PC tower would be an insult and it would be disregarded at once! How did we get to this stage so fast?

Well there are a number of things that have to be considered. Back in the day you had the desktop, the desktop, ohh yes, and the desktop. You could use your parent’s laptop if they had one for work, but that was unlikely. As the years passed, so did the product selection. The majority of cell phones we use now are more powerful than a desktop from the 90s. Laptops became much more affordable and reliable over the years. The introduction of tablets created even more splits in the market.

So, are all these new products the MAIN reason for the decline in sales for desktops worldwide? Hard to say… (Sorry if you were expecting a definite answer, I like to create suspense). They are however a part of the storm that hit this market. We have to consider some other important factors. One of them is the reliability of modern desktops. In 2013 you can log onto any online retailer and order a desktop and 23 inch monitor for around $500.

This $500 desktop computer will serve you well for years to come. However, during the 90s that was not the case. You were, in one way or another forced to keep up with the software requirements.  In other words, an average desktop computer from 10-15 years ago was not as reliable as an average desktop right now.

Desktop computers are reaching some sort of peak, and compared to other products that means durability. If a product is durable you are less likely to replace it. But, it does not end there. Don’t forget to add in online retailers to the mix. With the decline in conventional brick and mortar stores, customers have gone online to get better deals. To simplify it for everyone, lower prices online meant that customers were able to buy above average desktops for the same price. Above average desktops meant that consumers could keep up with software requirements for longer, which ultimately resulted in consumers keeping their desktop computers for longer periods of time.

Taking all those factors into account, we can get a better understanding of why it came to this. However, anybody who thinks that desktops are useless is making a huge mistake. The desktop computer is the most “powerful” device we have right now, and anybody who does serious work will agree. Yes, every ad now includes entrepreneurs running around completing complex business protocols on their portable device. In reality complex can only relate to a desktop computer. In reality all demanding video games are played on desktops. In reality all serious graphical designing is done on desktops.

To sum it up, the decline of desktop sales was inevitable. But, there the market will demand them for years to come. Desktop computers will have appeal to specific market segments, just like portable devices are appealing to other segments. We all have different needs, and now there are a lot more products available than there were 15 or 20 years ago at a lower price. Here are some quick tips if you are still interested in buying a desktop computer:

1. Do I really need it?

It is a simple question, do you spend a lot of time at home working or playing games? If the answer is yes, just go ahead and get yourself a powerful desktop computer that will not fail you anytime soon. If you only read the news and call a couple of friends on Skype a couple of times a day, well than you know this isn’t for you.

2. How much should I spend?

When you order online you are able to fully customize your desktop to your needs. Not only that, but the discounts that are available are always a nice thing to see. If you are not too confident about specific requirements, you can always upgrade later on.

3. Upgrades?

Yes, another important factor. Over the past couple of years many desktop users have been ordering parts and upgrading their hardware by themselves. There are so many useful tutorials which explain how to change your power supply and graphics card making it practically impossible to mess anything up.

4. I’m on a budget…

No problem. Make sure you avoid spending extra on a “fancy” keyboard, mouse, tower, and speakers. That is usually where people get tricked into spending more money. You should be spending your money on a good processor, extra memory, a great motherboard, graphics card, and a power supply. Everything else is mostly cosmetic and not essential at an early stage.

5. Why is it so slow?

Yes, after a while you actually need to take care of your desktop. Think of a desktop as a house instead of an apartment. In most cases you do not have to go out and buy another one… Do not panic, sometimes you just have to take out all that dust in there, a smack on the side can work however I suggest a vacuum cleaner. Reinstall your OS or close applications running in the back. Treat Ol’ Betty right and I’m sure you will contribute to that decline in desktop sales in no time.