Is Desktop Software Dying? - Comments Page 2

I am handicapped. I will never be able to use a smartphone. My desktop is the way I communicate with the world. I hope developers will continue to make products/apps for the desktop.

I have no issue with those who want to use a mobile device (phone/tablet/etc.) and install an 'app' to tell them the weather, or another 'app' to notify them of emails, etc.
Mobile 'apps' are really the equivalent of real desktop 'programs' that have been maximally simplified of all features/options. In the case of Window10, the StartMenu has one grouping called "Programs" and another called "Apps". A user in Windows10 can either install Windows compatible 'apps' from the Microsoft Store or select to install Programs/Applications/Utilities as PAYWare, FREEware, etc. Some Programs also have an equivalent App that can be installed, as well. OneNote or EverNote are 2 competing examples.
The desire for Microsoft to make Android apps be compatible with WindowsOperatingSystem is derived from the fact that WinOS no longer plays a big role in the mobile market, hence majority of the 'apps' are primarily written for either Android or Apple platforms.
Besides which, who really needs the Microsoft Office Suite if they are just planning on logging onto twitter to say "OMG, LOL!" or to post a selfie on Facebook?

What I don't like about the APPS is all of the permissions that one has to agree to in order to use them. They want access to my devices, life and history. Why do they need access to change my programs and use my ISP Modem along with My friends list, camera, microphone. If I shut my camera and mic off I don't want the APP provider having permission to turn them back on as they wish. Too much invasion of personal privacy and other stuff just to use an APP.

There's an issue, too, with websites increasingly being designed for small screens. That's great if using them on a phone or tablet, but it can be very inefficient on a laptop or desktop. I want to see more text on the screen at one time. Yes, it's nice if I want to read articles on my phone, so I understand the move in that direction. It just would be nice if we could have both.

Follow the money. The emphasis on mobile apps has a couple of reasons. Nobody is willing to pay extra for excess data usage on their desktop, but many people will on their phones. Also, the apps themselves have "premium" features to unlock with cold hard cash. If you look at a game like Need For Speed, it's about $89 for the desktop version. On my Android tablet I play Real Racing 3. (I only play free.) If you buy gold coins to buy one of the (top) cars of the you can easily spend $60 or more to get 1 car. With about 150 cars, many of which can only be purchase with "gold coins", many people will spend hundreds of dollars on a game that isn't anywhere near as good as what you can play on a desktop or console.
I'm a desktop guy for working and most internet related things. To me, phones are for calling, and tablets are toys.

Phones are great for those with "young" eyes. I want to use every bit of my 32" monitor's screen real estate!!
So far, nothing on phones, tempts me to use them instead of my great laptop and 32" monitor!!

I may be a luddite, but try running a flight simulator on your phone. How about Quicken? Care to edit the text of a book on android? How about Photoshop? To say nothing of code editing.

-not sent from my iPhone...
maybe next time...

I agree with you, Bob, when you stated that app developers are slighting desktop owners. Although smartphones are nice, there are still situations, where a person needs a desktop computer to conduct business.

After having read all 27 comments the conclusion that I reach is that different people have different tastes. Some good, some bad, but that is in the eye of the beholder. I been called a dinosaur and, to one degree or another, it's true. Onc commenter stated that his first OS was Win95. For me, it was MS-DOS, the early versions. I ran it on an 8086 for those that remember that far back. The solution is, IMO, to pick Linux or Mac, your dime, your choice. I've got both and lean heavily on Linux Mint Cinnamon desktop for functionality. Yes, the majority of software in the Mint repository is free. Very functional, dependable, and affordable. As a very nice additional feature, you don't have to worry about 100,000 or more miscreants trying to violate your computer. Same thing with Mac in the security area. Good luck to all! Have a good day.

It seems that developers are forgetting that the largest growing population, at least in developed countries are those over 65 and that the younger now will get older later. I do not own a mobile phone and want to see as much text as possible at once in a size that I can read. I am not in Twitter, Facebook, etc., and dislike being manipulated by companies whose only purpose is to make more money and not really looking at the interest of the customer.

I do believe that Desktop Software is not as prevalent today, as it was in the past.

Now, that I have made that statement - I really think that Desktop Software will once again, be very aggressive like it is for Smartphones. The simple reason is how the Windows 10 upgrades/updates are very similar to Browsers updating or upgrading, today.

I'm thinking it's something of a phase. People still need to sit at computers all day and do real work. Nice big screen and keyboard. Ahhh! Nice. Mobil is cool, very handy but not the be-all end-all. Even with print...it's nice to be able to get comfy and curl up with print anywhere you want. Pendulum might swing back the other way eventually unless they can effectively pull off the cross-platform app thing.

I hear no complaints from my Mac and Linux desktop using buddies about any shortage of software. Maybe all the possible useful software for Windows has already been written, so there's no market for new stuff. Even games are just variations on themes.
For anyone who takes communication seriously, the social media are too time and space limited for phones to be useful, ditto serious movies, even games. Smartphones are great only if your attention span is under three minutes. For grownups, the desktop lives and will ever prevail.

I know a 1 year old who will watch "Wheels on the Bus" and "Animal Boogie" on an iPhone when that's all that's available, but greatly prefers to watch (and dance along) using a nice large PC screen.

As far as I'm concerned they can publish as many apps for the phone as they want, but I won't use most of them. I almost NEVER to on the Internet on my Smartphone. I do use it occasionally for Facebook Messenger. Otherwise, I prefer my big screen laptop. So if they want me, they'll have to start putting out things for the computer. I actually want to REMOVE apps from my phone. All they do is drain the battery and require updates that take up more room :(

We use 2 screens for research and data entry, which is rather difficult on a mobile. In fact any management or use of data needs a desktop in my opinion.

This is like trying to compare a sports car with a heavy-duty truck. There is no choice to be made, because they are both designed for different purposes. One is mostly for heavy-duty lifting, while the other is useful for nimbleness and mobility. You don't have to choose between one or the other.

Good to see that somebody in the know has noticed this anomalous herd mentality. Opticians are laughing all the way to the bank. Will stick to desktop and change to Linux when Windows 7 runs out, as Microsoft and others seem determined to commit digital suicide. No amount of technological advances will ever overcome the lack of screen space and the degradation of programs to compensate for this limitation. Maybe digital spectacles will cope better, if you don't mind a blindfold while working.

I bought a new Cutting machine, named the Cricut Explore. It currently is the only cutting machine sold that requires its users to use a Cloud based software program to get the machine to cut anything. And computers using the online program must meet certain specifications and you must have a fast & reliable internet connection. While many, many folks have expressed an interest in wanting a "Desktop" offline program that we could use with the machine, the company has said, that they have no plans to ever offer it. They stated that all software is going the way of being developed only for online use. I bought the machine, knowing it required the internet to work, and because of some of its features that weren't available in other machines. Secretly I did hold out hope that someday they would offer an offline version of the software. Other cutting machine manufacturers have been able to provide software that can be updated, and also be run "offline". The Cricut Explore's software can also run on a iPad and iPhone if you get their "App". An app for Android devices is being developed. I for one much prefer all of my offline software and have more issues with Cloud based programs. I also worry about paying for accessing some cloud programs, but on occasions when my internet is down or when traveling and wifi isn't available, I can't access and use what I am paying for. I love the Internet for information seeking and things like Facebook. But as far as running applications or software, I love what I can do "off the cloud via my own hard drive" on a desktop or laptop.

There are many who benefit from smartphone and tablet apps. It fills a gap, but does it justify the avalanche of forced migration? Despite all the manipulations by the industry, it does not. It presents a new, exploitable opportunity with rapid growth at present. Desktop growth may have flattened, but there are still millions who buy them and they stubbornly refuse to go away. Desktops are like denim jeans.